Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Khrystyna Bednarchyk

Committee Member

Hardwick S. Johnson

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

behavioral skills training, culturally responsive pedagogy, emotional and behavioral disorders, African American students, professional development

Abstract

This applied dissertation examined the effects of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) on teachers’ acquisition and implementation of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) strategies when working with African American male students identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). African American students continue to experience disproportionate identification and placement in EBD classrooms, often due to limited access to culturally informed instructional and behavioral practices. This study sought to address this disparity by evaluating whether BST, a structured, evidence-based professional development model comprising instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback, could enhance educators’ CRP knowledge and skills and lead to collateral effects on students’ maladaptive classroom behaviors.

A multiple-probe across participants research design was employed with six certified special education teachers serving African American male students with EBD. Data were collected using the CRP Observation Rubric, Challenging Behavior Tracking Form, CRP Knowledge and Skills Survey, CRP Knowledge Assessment, and Social Validity Survey. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data.

Results from the CRP Knowledge Assessment revealed gains in factual CRP knowledge, while findings from the CRP Knowledge and Skills Survey reflected increases in self-reported confidence and perceived skill levels across all participants. Five of six student participants demonstrated reductions in the frequency of challenging behaviors from pre-BST to post-BST phases. These findings support prior research and suggest that BST is effective in enhancing teachers’ acquisition and performance of CRP strategies in classroom settings, contributing to more equitable and engaging learning environments for students of color.

Overall, the findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting BST as a viable and scalable framework for building CRP competencies among educators serving students with EBD. The integration of BST and CRP helps bridge the knowledge-to-performance gap by translating culturally responsive theory into observable instructional practice. High social validity ratings suggest that BST may function as a sustainable, equity-centered professional development model for special education teachers in urban school contexts. Future research should examine skill maintenance, replication across districts, and the role of leadership and implementation supports in sustaining culturally responsive instructional practices over time.

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