The effect of self-determination interventions on reading outcomes for middle and high school students with learning disabilities: A systematic review

Background Students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle with reading skills, increasing the need for interventions that enhance their reading outcomes. Self-determination (SD) interventions can develop reading skills for students in all grade levels, but previous reviews of SD intervention studies have focused on elementary school students. This systematic review investigated the effects of SD interventions on reading outcomes for middle and high school students with LD. Methods Seventeenth studies published between 1982 and 2025 in scholarly journals were reviewed, examining participant demographics, settings, designs, intervention procedures, dependent variables, interobserver agreement, procedural fidelity, social validity, maintenance, generalization, intervention effects, and quality. Results The findings indicated that reading outcomes for middle and high school students with LD improved when using SD interventions. Limitations, implications for practice, and recommendations for future research are also discussed. Conclusions The findings suggest that SD interventions represent practical, low-cost, and easily implemented strategies for improving reading outcomes among secondary students with LD; however, increased professional development and systematic teacher training are essential to support effective and widespread implementation in school settings.