Experiences with and Conceptions of School Discipline and PBIS Implementation: A Phenomenography of Fifteen Students with Disabilities in One Title I Middle School

<p>In this phenomenographical study, fifteen students with disabilities from one middle-grades setting were recruited to explore the qualitative different ways they experience and conceive of exclusionary discipline (i.e., in-school suspension (ISS), out-school suspension (OSS), and detention) and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). The participants engaged in interviews and produced two (2) visual representations to investigate the following research questions: (1) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive of school discipline?; (2) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS); and (3) In what ways can voices of students with disabilities help transform school discipline and PBIS implementation to meet their desired learning environments? An outcome space with seven categories of descriptions emerged. Findings suggest that students collectively held negative perceptions of exclusionary practices, and their responses revealed low efficacy of punitive discipline. In theory, cycles of frustration-aggression appeared to be associated with student experiences of exclusionary discipline and punitive threats (i.e., “you have silent lunch!”), which seems to result in student apathy and undesirable teacher-student relationships. Negative teacher behaviors were also observed such as yelling and belittling comments, including low fidelity of PBIS implementation. Lastly, many student participants expressed that they desired calm learning environments that offer freedom, play, and opportunities to engage in dialogue for reconciliation. Recommendations for future research, including student suggestions for school improvement, and implications to educational practice are provided.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Special Education - General Curriculum (Ed.D)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year

2020

Author dc:creator

• Khan, Osman

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Kate Zimmer
• Dr. Iván Jorrín Abellán

• exclusionary school discipline
• middle grades
• student perceptions
• students with disabilities
• restorative justice
• Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
• Special Education and Teaching

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/speceddoc_etd/8

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:speceddoc_etd-1009