Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

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

Advisor

Julie Alemany

Committee Member

Ronnie Hunter

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

academic achievement, accountability, adolescents, archival data, behavior problems, classroom management, convergent mixed methods, disciplinary actions, discipline patterns, disruptive behaviors, educators, implementation barriers, implementation fidelity, interviews, mental health, middle school, mixed methods research, multi tiered systems of support, North Central Florida, professional development, professional learning communities, qualitative analysis, quantitative surveys, relationship building, Reframing Behavior Initiative, school discipline, teacher burnout, teacher experiences, teacher perceptions, thematic analysis, time constraints

Abstract

This applied dissertation examined teacher-reported implementation of the Reframing Behavior (RB) Initiative at a middle school in North Central Florida. The districtwide training occurred in the 2024-2025 school year. The RB Initiative provides educators with opportunities to reframe how they address disruptive behaviors among students perceived as problematic, who may receive numerous disciplinary actions. Disciplinary actions can affect students’ academic and social lives. Using a convergent mixed methods design, the study addressed four research questions and examined implementation fidelity, teacher perceptions, school-wide discipline patterns, and teacher experiences with RB implementation.

The researcher surveyed 19 teachers and interviewed four teachers. The quantitative surveys were the RB fidelity scale, implementation barriers, and the revised usage rating profile, which measured teacher perceptions of RB. Using the survey, the researcher found that teachers reported moderate to high overall implementation fidelity (M = 3.92). Teachers reported positive perceptions of RB, with high average scores for understanding and acceptability, whereas feasibility and effectiveness received the lowest scores. The most significant barriers to implementation were time constraints and a lack of accountability. Archival data showed a 27.2% decrease in total disciplinary incidents from the initial baseline year to the training year, but the decline predated training. The qualitative interviews with teachers had seven open-ended questions; the interviews were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was conducted.

The analysis found five themes: relationship building is prerequisite in the classroom, perceived abandonment of the initiative, teacher burnout, professional development not realistic, and desired supports. Findings suggested that teachers had a strong understanding of the foundational knowledge of RB and accepted the strategy to implement in the classroom, but the structures to support it were not in place and affected the implementation fidelity.

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