The Impact of Teaching Self-Determination Skills on the On-Task and Off-Task Behaviors of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

A multiple baseline across participants design was used to examine the functional relation between the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) intervention and the on- and off-task behaviors of high school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The results showed that all four students significantly increased on-task behaviors and decreased off-task behaviors and all four participants maintained the increase of on-task behaviors and the decrease of off-task behaviors after the intervention was withdrawn. All four students made progress toward their goal of implementing on-task behavior in the classroom and generalized on-task behavior to a second general education classroom. The study provides evidence of effective self-determination instruction that supports students to improve their behavior in a general education classroom. Implications for practice and future research are provided.