Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

What do teachers perceive to be the impact of positive behavior management systems on supporting teachers, students, and families? This research investigated the implementation and impact of school-wide positive behavior support systems as a crucial approach to addressing behavior challenges and supporting both teachers and students. Recognizing the significant challenges teachers face in managing student behavior alongside their essential duties, this study delves into the potential benefits of positive behavior support systems as an alternative to punitive discipline methods. Building upon previous research, the results of this investigation underscored the positive outcomes associated with school-wide positive behavior support systems. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological case study involving 12 diverse educators, providing valuable insights from those directly responsible for classroom management. The findings revealed that these systems effectively reduced situations involving exclusionary practices, enhanced student-teacher relationships, and contributed to the establishment of a positive classroom culture and climate. Supported by observations, interviews, and artifact collection, the participants identified key factors influencing the success of positive behavior support systems, including administrative and parental support, access to professional development opportunities, and collaborative experiences among teachers and school administration. The study further highlighted the importance of consistent school-wide expectations, procedures, and guidelines in managing student behavior and advocates for tailored support for students with diverse backgrounds. Notably, positive restorative practices and training for teachers contribute to meeting the needs of all students and result in increased overall student achievement. Despite the evident benefits, the need for ongoing refinement of school-wide positive behavior support systems, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jane Beese Ed.D. (Advisor); Christopher Basich Ed.D. (Committee Member); Victoria Kress Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Early Childhood Education; Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Elementary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2018, Educational Leadership

Due to the continuous growth of diverse student bodies on college campuses, creating accessibility for each unique student needs to be considered. Students who have a disability or disabilities are a substantial part of this growing diverse student body. Since disability resource specialists play a significant role in creating accessibility for such students, they can consider implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore where disability resource specialists fall on Lewin's (1951) continuum of change and Reynold's (2009) levels of expertise in regards to implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. Six participants were included in this study out of eight who were invited to participate. Out of those six participants, the study showed that all participants demonstrated a strong presence in the Unfreezing stage of Lewin's (1951) continuum of change. Also, the study showed that all participants showed a level of knowledge as the second tier to Reynold's (2009) levels of expertise. Limitations as well as recommendations for future research included recruiting a larger sample of participants to provide greater analysis of the study.

Committee: Carol Patitu Ph.D. (Advisor); Suzanne Franco Ed.D. (Committee Member); Stephanie Krah Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Community College Education; Community Colleges; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Design; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Engineering; English As A Second Language; Experiments; Instructional Design; Intellectual Property; Labor Relations; Management; Mass Communications; Mental Health; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Multicultural Education; Occupational Health; Occupational Therapy; Personal Relationships; Public Administration; Public Health; Public Health Education; Public Policy; Reading Instruction; Recreation; Rehabilitation; Robotics; Robots; School Administration; Secondary Education; Special Education; Speech Therapy; Systems Design; Teacher Education; Transportation