Autonomy as a Driver of Engagement: Strategies for Motivating Students and Educators

Date(s):

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Time(s):

Noon to 1:00pm (Central Time)

Series:

Ayers Institute Webinars

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At the beginning of the school year, educators are looking for ways to create and sustain an environment of authentic engagement in the classroom. Likewise, teacher leaders and administrators are looking for ways to foster a culture of collaboration and ownership among all educators within the school or district. Come explore how the powerful driver of autonomy can help create the motivation and engagement we are looking for -- so that all members of the school community can thrive.

Resources

Additional resource(s):

The Stackable Master's Degree at Lipscomb University's College of Education -- M.Ed. degree.

What can leaders do?

Build a culture of trust

foster a culture of experimentation and “failing forward”
encourage new ideas from everyone

Provide clear and consistent communication

allow regular two-way communication
clarify expectations
collectively establish and revisit norms

Recognize employee efforts

celebrate small wins
provide meaningful appreciation and feedback

Consider challenge and match

match people to the right assignments
the amount of stretch is crucial

Provide resources and organizational support

time
people
consider the importance (or non-importance) of physical space

Build and foster the team

grow mindsets by bringing together a diverse group
team chemistry
squelch cliques and “office” politics

Freedom in the process

“Firm on the standard; flexible on how to get there” (Jim Knight)

What can teachers do?

Set clear performance standards and success criteria from the start
Explain why activities matter
Provide timely and meaningful feedback
Encourage collaboration, questions, sharing of ideas
Encourage students to assess their own learning progress

Support students’ capacity for self-direction and self-regulation

Foster intrinsic motivation

Avoid excessive external rewards
Align learning with goals

Help students develop a sense of ownership in the learning process

Ask for and incorporate student perspectives, preferences, interests, and personal goals/values
Prioritize voice and choice
Provide information, strategies, tools, and rationales for learning
Scaffold for students to be independent problem solvers
Involve students in classroom rules and decision-making

Citations:

Ackerman, C. (2018). “ Self determination theory and how it explains motivation.” Retrieved from: https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/

Allen, M. & Phillips, M. (2022). “Using choice boards to boost student engagement.” Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-choice-boards-boost-student-engagement/

Amabile, T. (1998). “How to kill creativity.” Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/1998/09/how-to-kill-creativity

Blaschke, L. M. & Hase, S. (2021). Unleashing the Power of Learner Agency. Chapter 2: “So, you want to do heutagogy: Principles and practice.” Retrieved from: https://edtechbooks.org/up/pp

Borzykowski, B., (2017). “What’s so wrong with dressing up your desk?” Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170202-whats-so-wrong-with-dressing-up-your-desk

Bouchrika, I., (2023) “The andragogy approach: Knowles’ adult learning theory principles.” Retrieved: https://research.com/education/the-andragogy-approach

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). “Student autonomy and empowerment.” Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/classroom-management/student_autonomy.htm

Cherry, K. (2022). “What is self-determination theory? How self-determination influences motivation.” Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387

Gallup Press (2017). “The state of the global workplace.” Retrieved from: https://fundacionprolongar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/State-of-the-Global-Workplace_Gallup-Report.pdf

Han, K., (2021) “Fostering students’ autonomy and engagement in EFL classroom through proximal classroom factors: Autonomy-supportive beaviors and student-teacher relationships.” Retrieved from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767079/full#B63

Motivation Works. Self Determination Theory: Understanding motivation and core needs at work. Video retrieved from: https://info.gqrgm.com/self-determination-theory-and-human-motivation-live-event-typ?submissionGuid=9dac5770-6960-4084-8a7e-e5da02727225

Nunnery, A. (2021). “Teacher autonomy matters. Here’s why.” Retrieved from: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/teacher-autonomy-matters-heres-why-da1102d45352

Pathak, A., (n.d.) “Autonomy: an essential for employee engagement. Retrieved: https://blog.jostle.me/blog/autonomy-an-essential-for-employee-engagement

Rock, D., (2008) SCARF: A brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. NeuroLeadership Journal. Retrieved: www.Neuroleadership.org

Schultz, K. & Phillips, M. (2021). “ The what, the why, and how of choice boards.” Retrieved from: https://achievethecore.org/peersandpedagogy/aligning-curricular-decisions-with-student-voice/

Spencer, J. (2020). “4 ways to craft choice menus in distance learning classes.” Retrieved from: https://spencerauthor.com/choice-menus/

Spencer, J. (2021). “9 Teacher-tested ways to build student-ownership into informational reading.” Retrieved from: https://spencerauthor.com/9-ways-informational-reading/

Turner, K. (2019). One-to-one learning and self-determination theory. International Journal of Instruction. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1211033.pdf

Yang, D, Chen, P., Wang, H, Wang, K., Huang, R. (2022). “Teachers’ autonomy support and student engagement: A systematic literature review of longitudinal studies. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9441875/

Contributors

Dr. Rachael Milligan

Karen Marklein

Originator:

Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation