Abstract
The development of programs aimed to promote self-determination in students with disabilities is a very popular research topic. Many of these programs have obtained the status of evidence-based practices, one being the Self-Determination Learning Model of Instruction. Although the literature emphasizes the link between self-determination and the school performance of students with disabilities, in Romanian research and educational practice there is a weak focus on specific programs to improve self-determined abilities, attitudes, and behaviors, these being rather in an early phase of study and application. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the impact of the Self-Determination Learning Model of Instruction on the academic performance of five students with intellectual disabilities. In this multiple baseline across participants design study, school performance is operationalized in reading comprehension skills, vocabulary communication skills, math problem solving, choice making, and goal setting and attainment. The preliminary adapted AIR Self-determination scale for Romanian students and individual observation checklists were used for each dependent variable to evaluate the competencies and indicators related to school performance in the baseline, treatment, and maintenance stages. Study findings indicated significant increases in the scores of behaviors and abilities observed throughout the experimental conditions, especially in the final intervention phase and maintenance stage. The academic performances of the five students were on an upward trend, remaining stable and robust over time. The results of the study showed improvements in students’ abilities for self-determination expressed through knowledge, abilities, and perception. Conclusion: The study is a novelty in self-determination research in Romania, directions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.