Announcement of Ed.D. Proposal Defense Leslie Calabrese: “ABA-based Strategies for the General Education Teacher: A Qualitative Case Study of a Professional Development Intervention”

Behavior management can be difficult for teachers because of the lack of strategies taught in teacher prep programs and professional development offered by school districts. The lack of strategies to mitigate disruptive behaviors in the classroom contributes to the stress that teachers experience and the overall attrition that occurs in the profession. Without a solid repertoire of how to manage behaviors in the classroom, students can be caught in a cycle of repeated disruptive behaviors that can lead to removal from class, disproportionate disciplining, and a negative educational trajectory. This qualitative case study aims to explore teacher behavior management beliefs and practices before, during, and after participation in a professional development (PD) built on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, specifically functions of behavior. The overall question framing this study is: What happens when I implement a PD built on the principles of ABA focused on improving GE teachers’ knowledge and beliefs of behaviors and behavior management? The research study will be conducted at one elementary school with six general education teachers of grades two through five. Pre- and post-interviews, classroom observations, teacher documentation, and researcher reflective notes on each PD session will be used to create a rich portrait of the PD and teacher learning.

Keywords: professional development, Applied Behavior Analysis, behavior management, functions of behavior, classroom management strategies

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