Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Patricia N. Anderson

Abstract

AbstractThe failure of Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) to resolve behavior issues among primary grade students at a single charter elementary school in the southeastern United States was the problem that guided this study. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how primary teachers and administrators identified the need for, implemented, and maintained PBIS to resolve students' behavior problems. Fullan's change theory and Havelock and Zlotolow's change model served as the study's conceptual framework. Research questions addressed how K-3 teachers and administrators determined the need to implement PBIS to resolve students' behavior problems, how they implemented PBIS to resolve those problems, and how K-3 teachers and administrators maintained PBIS to resolve students' behavior problems. Data were collected through semistructured interviews of 10 participants, including 2 administrators and 8 K-3 teachers, and analyzed using hand coding. Most teachers recognized the existence of challenging behavior that preceded the implementation of PBIS and supported the implementation of PBIS at the target school, but encountered barriers that impeded the implementation of PBIS, including confusion over the scope of PBIS, lack of commitment to PBIS, and training in PBIS that many found inadequate. Neither of the administrators noted any barriers, suggesting lack of collaboration with teachers in implementing PBIS. The results of this study may contribute to a positive social change by increasing teachers' and administrators' awareness of the need for collaborative effort in implementing an initiative like PBIS, and may lead to increased collaboration as PBIS continues to be used at the school.

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