Date of Conferral
12-11-2024
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Tammy Hoffman
Abstract
Middle school students lack coping skills which cause misbehaviors and disruptions to their education. The misbehaviors are higher among middle school students with disabilities and middle school special education teachers are struggling to implement effective strategies to address the disruptive behaviors of their students` in a suburban Northeastern school district. Guided by Skinner’s theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of middle school special education teachers about student behaviors/misbehaviors and to determine what teaching strategies middle school special education teachers need to incorporate into their classrooms. Data were collected through nine semi structured interviews regarding the personal experiences of special education teachers chosen through purposeful sampling, who teach in either an in-class setting with a general education teacher and/or a smaller resource room setting. Thematic analysis using a 2-step open coding process was conducted resulting in the following themes: (a) students are struggling with being a student; (b) students lack respect for teachers and their fellow classmates; (c) lack of collaboration among parents, administration, and fellow colleagues; (d) extrinsic behavioral rewards work best; and (e) teachers lack training and related follow-up training in behavioral management. These themes were used to develop a 3-day professional development program to help this teacher population address behavioral issues among middle school students with disabilities. Once the training is given to the teachers, these students should experience an increase in academic success and learn life skills necessary for being productive outside the educational environment, which has potential implications for positive social change.
Recommended Citation
Carthy, Laurey, "Middle School Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Behaviors Among Middle School Students with Disabilities" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17088.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17088
