Abstract
This qualitative case study focuses upon the perceptions some teachers and
administrators hold regarding the effectiveness of using restorative practices (RP) when
addressing the behaviors of students who are low-level offenders that have demonstrated
willful defiance. These are students who have displayed actions at school such as
bullying, fighting, exhibiting insubordination to staff members, possessing alcohol or
tobacco products, or are involved in vandalism (The U.S. Department of Education,
2015). The participant sampling for this study was comprised of teachers and
administrators in a single high school in the Pacific Northwest, and was conducted in the
wake of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data collected and themes
that emerged add to the academic conversation about the relevancy of making a
systematic paradigm shift from traditional, exclusionary discipline practices to the
alternative method of RP. This study offers insights into areas where teacher and
administrator participants share common understandings of potential benefits for using
RP mediation. This includes rebuilding relationships, getting to the root of the problem
behind the behavior, teaching students how to take accountability for their actions, and
improving school culture. Conflicting viewpoints were also exposed, especially with the
discussion of how well students understand the RP and why they are being asked to
engage in it. This study concludes with detailed recommendations for implementation of
RP over a 3–5-year timespan, as well as links to professional development resources.
Keywords: administrator perspectives, COVID-19 pandemic, exclusionary
practices, implementation, low-level offenders, punitive methods of discipline, restorative
practices, teacher perspectives, willful defiance, zero-tolerance behavior policies