Self-determination Behaviors after Instruction in ChoiceMaker Curriculum

Abstract

Self-determination skills are essential for the success of students in special education after high school, yet too many students leave high school without those skills. I seek to add to the body of literature related to the self-determination of students with mild disabilities in high school. Utilizing time-sampling data, I determined if students exhibit an increase in self-determination behaviors as compared with those who have not been involved in the ChoiceMaker curriculum. The five-week long curriculum consisted of nine sessions. I collected the time-sampling data during IEP meetings to evaluate students’ progress as part of their IEP goals and determined the mean value of each groups’ participation to determine if there is a significant difference in the average amount of times students displayed self-determination behaviors. The purpose was to determine if this curriculum increases self-determination behaviors during a students’ IEP meeting.