Integration of Mobile Technology Into Evidence-Based Practices for Students With Emotional and Conduct Disorders in Classroom

Abstract

Mobile technology (MT) may create new opportunities for teachers to enhance the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students with emotional and conduct disorders (ECD) in United States. However, there remains a relative paucity of research reviewing the effectiveness of integrating MT into EBPs, also referred to as emerging practices (EPs). This integrative review provides a synthesis of the research on the effectiveness of EPs for students with ECD in the K-12 classroom environment. A total of 11 empirical studies, published from 2008 to 2018, were reviewed. Results suggest that EPs may increase academic engagement for students with ECD during academic situations. Yet, drawing conclusions remains challenging due to limitations in relation to: (a) the unique power of EPs in isolation from some interfering variables, (b) generalizability of documented findings to various settings. Future research studies should ideally further address the areas of limitation toward conclusive claims concerning the effectiveness of EPs for students with ECD. Keywords: conduct disorders, educational setting, emerging practices, emotional disorders, evidence-based practices, mobile technology.