Date of Award

5-2025

Degree Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Comments

Presented to the Faculty of Sacred Heart University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education

Committee Chair

Victoria A. Osborne, Ph.D., LMSW

2nd Reader

Kathleen Wallace, Ed.D.

3rd Reader

Nachiketa P. Bhatt, M.S.

Abstract

This study, grounded in the Improvement Science framework, explored factors influencing educators’ ability to manage behaviors in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) at a school within a psychiatric treatment facility. Existing research highlights the significant impact of behavior management on academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes, particularly for students with EBD. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the researcher combined quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the effects of a 6-week professional learning series on trauma-informed practices. The study examined its impact on educators’ knowledge, attitudes, professional growth, and efficacy in supporting students with EBD. Findings indicate that the professional learning series enhanced educators’ understanding of trauma-informed practices, improved their strategies for addressing student behaviors, and strengthened their responses to toxic stress reactions. Additionally, this study emphasized the importance of prioritizing educator self-care and providing ongoing professional development opportunities to further enhance teacher growth and effectiveness. These findings suggest that adopting a trauma-informed approach can better support students with EBD and that practical training programs can enhance staff capacity, ultimately improving outcomes for both students and educators. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on trauma-informed education. It offers valuable insights into scalable and cost-effective professional development strategies for educators working in specialized settings.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.


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