Date of Award

3-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Special Education

Department

Education

First Reader/Committee Chair

Nam, Sang

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine professional development techniques for training special education teachers to implement discrete trial training with in the classroom environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if professional development regarding discrete trail training increases the fidelity with which teachers implement discrete trail training when providing instruction to students with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, the study noted if professional development that included coaching in the classroom increased the fidelity with which teachers were able to implement discrete trail training. Further, this study examined the correlation between an improvement in the fidelity with which teachers implemented discrete trail training and positive student outcomes. Six studies were included in the present study. These studies found that following an initial presentation of information regarding discrete trail training with in the classroom coaching leads to an increase in teachers’ ability to implement discrete trail training with fidelity. An increase in teacher fidelity was found to correlate positively to an increase in positive student outcomes such as increased student learning and decreased negative student behaviors. The impact these improvements in teacher and student outcomes stand to have on issues such as teacher burnout, attrition, and self-efficacy are also discussed.

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