The Lived Experiences of Teachers Who Implement Behavioral Interventions to Support Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Inclusive Classrooms: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the behavioral intervention efficacy of supporting students with emotional and behavioral disorders for teachers in an inclusion classroom setting in the state of Georgia. This study utilized Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as it explains how people perceive their abilities to accomplish certain tasks. This study aimed to answer the following question: What are the lived experiences of teachers who implement behavioral interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders in inclusion classroom settings? This study used a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to its design to understand the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of inclusion teachers who implement behavioral intervention to support students with EBD. The setting for this study was the state of Georgia. The sample for this study consisted of eleven general education and special education teachers. Individual interviews, focus groups, and document analysis were used as the methods for data collection for this study. Thematic analysis was used to identify commonalities and themes within the data collected. The findings from this study revealed three emerging themes, including finding what works, collaboration is key, and the self-efficacy of teachers being shaped through experiences and observations. The implications of this study are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.