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Exploring Elementary Principals’ Discipline Decisions: Is Function a Consideration?

Shepherd, Nicole L.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5462-1126
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou166825880127691

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, Educational Administration (Education).
Challenging student behavior is a concern for teachers and administrators across the United States, and the situation in West Virginia is no different. In response to these behaviors, principals often use an exclusionary approach to discipline, including detentions, suspensions, and expulsions. While research indicates a functional approach to discipline is a highly effective strategy, teachers rarely utilize this approach, and little is known about if and when principals do. This qualitative study explored how principals define challenging behavior and make discipline decisions, identify which discipline practices they use, and determine if they apply the Circumstances View of Behavior (attributing a person’s behavior to learning history and/or their environment) or a functional approach to discipline (considering why a behavior is happening) when making decision-related decisions. This was accomplished using discipline vignettes, semi-structured interviews, post-interview surveys, and document analysis within a Reflexive Thematic Analysis framework with a Multimethod Research design. This study synthesized a more comprehensive definition of challenging behavior for the participants and outlined traditional disciplinary practices along with an alternate approach expressed by one participant. The findings indicate that nearly all participants only partially subscribe to a Circumstances View of Challenging Behavior and a Functional View of Behavior and that partial subscription was not enough to shift their disciplinary decision-making away from progressive, exclusionary practices.
Charles Lowery (Committee Chair)
145 p.
Behavioral Sciences; Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; School Administration; Special Education; Teacher Education
school discipline; elementary school discipline; elementary principals; school leadership; educational leadership; challenging behavior; applied behavior analysis; functional approach to behavior; Function Based Thinking; Circumstances View of Behavior; alternative school discipline

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Shepherd, N. L. (2022). Exploring Elementary Principals’ Discipline Decisions: Is Function a Consideration? [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou166825880127691

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Shepherd, Nicole. Exploring Elementary Principals’ Discipline Decisions: Is Function a Consideration? 2022. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou166825880127691.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Shepherd, Nicole. "Exploring Elementary Principals’ Discipline Decisions: Is Function a Consideration?" Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou166825880127691

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou166825880127691
260
© 2022, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.