The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore general education middle school teachers' perceptions and lived experiences using metacognitive instruction to improve the behaviors of special needs students in a school setting in the Northeastern United States. This research addressed the problem of whether general education middle school teachers need to explore metacognitive instruction as a behavioral intervention for special needs students with behavior problems. The conceptual framework used for this study was based on Bandura's (1977) social cognitive theory. Three open-ended, semi-structured interviews with eleven middle school teachers were conducted to capture their voices and gather insight into their perceptions of special needs students with behavioral problems. Braun and Clarke's (2021) six-step were used to identify codes, and themes that align with the research questions. The key findings highlighted teachers' comprehension and the significance of metacognitive strategies when working with students with special needs. In addition, general education teachers benefit from professional development to enhance their knowledge and use of metacognition in the classroom despite their overall understanding of its benefits. The findings of this study add to existing research on metacognitive instruction's effectiveness in promoting positive behavior outcomes for special needs students. Metacognitive instruction was reportedly hindered by time constraints, large classes, and a lack of training among teachers. Based on the results, it is recommended that teachers of students with special needs and behavior problems implement metacognitive instruction, and that school administrators promote teachers' self-efficacy in their ability to support students with special needs. Practice recommendations for research could develop and evaluate teacher training on metacognitive strategies for special needs populations to improve teachers' perspective of behavioral intervention selection and implementation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]