Date
6-26-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Kelly Gorbett
Keywords
equitable learning environments, exclusionary discipline, preschool teachers
Disciplines
Education | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Coker, Christal C., "To Use or Not to Use Exclusionary Discipline in Early Childhood Education? A Phenomenological Analysis of Pre-Kindergarten Teachers in Alabama" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7163.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7163
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of pre- kindergarten teachers in Alabama regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline. The study aimed to find outcomes that could potentially improve social contexts in Alabama's preschools by creating more equitable learning environments. The problem addressed by the study is that the lived experience of preschool teachers regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline when students misbehave at school remains to be discovered. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit seven preschool teachers licensed in Alabama for a one-on-one semi-structured Zoom call interview with the researcher. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for data analysis. A thematic analysis was conducted to determine the findings, guided by Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. The findings illustrated the complex process of navigating discipline while fostering a focus on the value of individualized teaching and balance. The findings supported improved knowledge regarding the use and restraint from using exclusionary discipline for the benefit of K-12 educational stakeholders.
