Date of Award


Document Type


Degree Name

Doctor of Education


School of Education

First Advisor

Christina Ager


A multiple baseline across teacher design was used to examine the effectiveness of a self-determination self-regulation intervention to address the academic engagement and performance of students with emotional disabilities. The intervention, Plan, Work, Evaluate, Adjust, was introduced into secondary emotional support classrooms in the following order: Science, English, Social Studies, and Math. Dependent variables were on-task behavior, work completion, and redirections.
There were four female participants in either tenth or eleventh grade. All received instruction in emotional support classrooms for core content instruction.
Results using the multiple baseline design were mixed for the four participants with trends toward increases in on-task behavior and work completion. The AIR Self-determination scale was given to participants’ pre and post-intervention to determine if the intervention influenced the self-determination self-perceptions of participants. Brief interviews were conducted to assess if self-reported school experiences changes as a result of the intervention.
Results for the multiple baseline across teacher design yielded mixed results. Participants typically improved on-task behavior, work completion, and reduced redirections in some content classes, but not in others. Ranges decreased for participants in at least two content areas with the low end becoming a larger number in the intervention condition. All four participants showed modest growth in the ARC-Self-Determination Scale from pre-intervention to post-intervention. All four participants self-reported growth in items related to school. Participants rated themselves as more self-determined than teachers rated the same participants.
Participants reported positive school experience during the implementation of the intervention. Positive school experiences included making honor roll for the first time, becoming more engaged by asking questions, and completing more school work. Teachers also reported extending the amount of time allowed for independent practice and that there was an increase in the number of questions participants answered.
Limitations include a short intervention time, a changed time frame for independent practice, from approximately 5 minutes to fifteen minutes, teacher (and student) attendance, and amount of students attending a classroom for students with emotional support needs. Additionally, ceiling effects during baseline data may have masked some of the positive effects of the intervention. Implications for practice and future research are provided.

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