Date of Award

Summer 8-15-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Department

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Advisor

David Reid, Ed.D.

Committee Member

David Reid, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Suzan Radwan, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Paul Amoroso, Ed.D.

Keywords

self-regulation, student engagement, special education

Abstract

Existing research explores self-regulation in the field of special education, however there has yet to be a body of research that relates specifically to special education teachers’ perceptions of their role in fostering self-regulating students in grades K-8. This narrative qualitative study utilized interviews and observations to extract data from each of the 15 total participants across 9 suburban New Jersey public school districts. Common perceptions of participants included a lack of, or unclear, district vision regarding self-regulation, as well as an absence of explicit professional development. The key findings in this study revealed that self-regulation skills are fostered by intentional planning and implementation. It was also indicated that self-regulating students tend to be more engaged in learning compared to dysregulated students, and that student engagement has a positive influence on student achievement. These findings suggest that school districts may benefit from identifying a clear vision that supports the promotion of self-regulation skills, as well as provide meaningful professional development to support the ability of staff to meet the expectations of the vision.

Keywords: self-regulation, student engagement, special education

Additional Files
Dissertation Approval Signed April 2026.pdf (520 kB)
Keyes Signed April 2026.pdf (520 kB)
Signed Dissertation Defense
Keyes Signed April 2026.pdf (520 kB)
Keyes Dissertation August 7 2026 (2904 kB)
Revised 8/7/2026
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