A Meta-Analysis of Self-Determination Interventions for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Self-determination is a latent variable that has been conceptualized differently across academic domains. Due to the variability in the conceptualization of self-determination interventions, a thorough exploration of the approaches is needed. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore the literature-base on self-determination interventions to establish if the strategy is an evidence-based practice for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. We examined whether self-determination is an evidence-based practice by evaluating the risk of bias and quantitative evidence available for qualifying interventions. Although case-level effect sizes varied, the results indicate that self-determination interventions were associated with significant behavioral changes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. However, approximately 12.5% of participants across studies had negative or negligible responses, suggesting the need to modify specific iterations based on student characteristics, environmental factors, and specific behavioral targets. The individual variability is consistent with the emphasis on individualization within special education and provides important guidance for teachers considering using the intervention to support students with emotional and behavioral disorders.