A qualitative case study on the impact of restorative justice practices in self-contained classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the use of restorative justice (RJ) practices within self-contained behavior classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Additionally, teachers’ perceptions of how these practices aid students in achieving academic success and in preparing for life after high school were identified. Students are placed in self-contained classrooms due to the emotional and behavioral disabilities they have been diagnosed with. These disabilities lead students to engage in behaviors that harm their own education and that of others. Students with emotional behavior disabilities experience more problems with relationships and jobs after graduation from high school. Restorative justice focuses on building relationships, mending harm, and holding students accountable through collaborative efforts that value communication. Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities can improve their academic success while functioning successfully by using restorative justice strategies. Information from interviews with educators was used to develop a deep understanding of the implementation of restorative justice, specifically in the context of this study. The qualitative case study approach investigated the following: (a) how RJ strategies are implemented in adaptive behavior (AB) classrooms and the factors influencing their effectiveness, (b) the impact of RJ strategies on student behavior and the transition from AB classrooms to general education (GenEd) classrooms, and (c) the perceived long-term outcomes of RJ strategies for AB students, particularly concerning dropout rates and readiness for post-secondary education. The findings of this study may contribute to promoting post-secondary success and increasing inclusive education for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Granquist, Grant, 1984-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Urick, Angela.

• Emotional disturbance disability.
• Restorative justice.
• Self-contained.
• Restorative discipline.
• Special education.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14638

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14638