Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Restoration is any form of guidance or counsel toward right decision-making. One can be restored in an emotional or psychological way. The act of restoring emotional reactions back to logical thinking are the core teachings of this paper. The objective of this study was to analyze K-5 educators’ lived experiences, opinions, and perceptions in regard to this social and emotional restoration of teaching. This study advocates teacher perspectives in the art of restorative teaching and thinking for students they teach. This qualitative research study provides insight into the perceptions, opinions, and lived experiences of 10 educators regarding the implementation of restorative practices in their St. Louis school district. This research study explored the overall impact of restorative practices of K-5 teachers. Each of the ten participants offered a distinguishing perspective on the impact of restorative practices through personal experiences. The research questions of this study were answered through finding themes and trends gathered from participant responses. The qualitative research results provided conclusions of insufficient time, varying of perceptions, lack of knowledge of history, and inconsistency of implementation of the practice. Educators in St. Louis, Missouri may find the themes in this study valuable when implementing restorative practices in middle or high schools. Educators may also find the themes valuable in comparing other districts that implement restorative practices.

Year manuscript completed

2024

Year degree awarded

2024

Author's Keywords

Restorative Practices, Restorative Justice, perception, insufficient time, history, consistency

Dissertation Committee Chair

Randal Wilson

Co-Director of Dissertation

Jay Parrent

Committee Chair

Randal Wilson

Committee Member

Jay Parrent

Committee Member

Amelia Owen

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

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