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Dissertation
Staff Engagement in Self-Contained Classrooms Serving Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
University of West Florida Libraries
Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida
2026
Abstract
This study addressed low staff engagement in self-contained classrooms serving students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at a public charter school. Staff engagement is critical in these settings due to its direct impact on student outcomes, including progress toward Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, reduction of challenging behaviors, and overall instructional quality. Guided by the human performance technology (HPT) model, this action research study examined the gap between desired and actual levels of staff engagement, identified root causes, and implemented a targeted intervention.
Data were collected through multiple sources, including extant organizational documents, stakeholder interviews, direct observations using the Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised (BCIO-R), a staff engagement questionnaire, and Harless’s 13 Smart Questions. Findings indicated that low staff engagement was primarily influenced by environmental and systemic factors, including inconsistent feedback, limited reinforcement, unclear expectations, and insufficient follow-through after training.
In response, a staff-focused Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework was designed and implemented, incorporating clear expectations, coaching, peer mentoring, and structured reinforcement systems. Evaluation data demonstrated improvements in instructional time, increased ratios of positive staff–student interactions, and enhanced staff perceptions of support and collaboration.
The results suggest that system-level interventions aligned with HPT principles can effectively improve staff engagement in specialized educational settings. This study contributes to the field by demonstrating the value of data-driven, context-specific interventions to enhance both staff performance and student outcomes.
Details
- Title
- Staff Engagement in Self-Contained Classrooms Serving Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Contributors
- Mary Wise (Committee Member)Tobias Honsberger (Committee Member)Byron Havard (Committee Chair)
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 176
- Copyright
- Unpublished work © Joseph Grayson Grau II
- Identifiers
- 99381761652006600
- Academic Unit
- School of Education; Instructional Design and Technology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Doctor of Education (EDD)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida