Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Leadership & Policy Studies

Committee Chair

Dustin Hornbeck

Committee Chair

Charisse Gulosino

Committee Member

Nikki Wright

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding the interrelationships between behavior policy, student behavior, and autonomy-supportive behavior. It approximated the realities experienced by teachers to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they encountered in implementing behavior policies and fostering autonomy-supportive behavior. While attrition, shortage, and dissatisfaction were not the primary focus, they significantly influenced the teacher participants based on their experiences with high teacher turnover in their schools. I collected qualitative through semi-structured interviews to explore teachers’ realities, using six participants from Memphis Shelby County Schools. By utilizing conflict theory and the ambiguity-conflict matrix adapted from Matland (1997), I explored the conflict created by the potential lack of autonomy in creating behavior policy and implementing autonomy-supportive behavior. Based on the findings, participants did not attribute classroom behaviors to the students themselves. Instead, they constructed a reality around student behavior characterized by understanding and a desire for supportive policies for students struggling with autonomy-supportive behavior. They believed student behavior was symptomatic of deeper issues requiring counseling and more extensive social-emotional learning. Simultaneously, participants recognized that negative student behavior significantly contributed to learning loss and adversely affected bystander students socially and academically. The ambiguity in schoolwide behavior policies was a source of conflict. Participants felt unsupported by the administration in dealing with extreme behaviors and perceived the behavior policy as inconsistent at all levels. As a result, they relied on their autonomy within their classrooms, heavily emphasizing relationship-building with students to promote autonomy-supportive behavior. The final chapter offered implications for research and practice, such as promoting autonomy-supportive behavior and providing access to counseling and therapy for students with severe behavioral issues.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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