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Invited Article

Optimizing the Power of Choice: Supporting Student Autonomy to Foster Motivation and Engagement in Learning

Miriam Evans

Corresponding Author

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

Address correspondence to Miriam Evans, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), 40 Harvard Mills Square, Suite 3, Wakefield, MA 01880; e‐mail:

mevans@cast.org

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Alyssa R. Boucher

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

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First published: 06 May 2015
Cited by: 9

ABSTRACT

Choice plays a critical role in promoting students' intrinsic motivation and deep engagement in learning. Across a range of academic outcomes and student populations, positive impacts have been seen when student autonomy is promoted through meaningful and personally relevant choice. This article presents a theoretical perspective on the motivational role of choice in learning, based on self‐determination theory. Theoretical principles and current research on student motivation and engagement are described. Conditions under which choice promotes students' intrinsic motivation are then presented.

Number of times cited: 9

  • , Social Support, Student Outcomes and Teaching Strategies, Social Support, Well-being, and Teacher Development, 10.1007/978-981-13-3577-8_4, (135-192), (2018).
  • , From Deficit Remediation to Capacity Building: Learning to Enable Rather Than Disable Students With Dyslexia, Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 10.1044/2018_LSHSS-DYSLC-18-0031, 49, 4, (864), (2018).
  • , What Keeps Them Motivated? Children’s Views on an Applied Game for Anxiety, Entertainment Computing, 10.1016/j.entcom.2018.12.003, (2018).
  • , The autonomy-enhancing effects of choice on cognitive load, motivation and learning with digital media, Learning and Instruction, 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2018.06.006, 58, (161-172), (2018).
  • , Scholas Citizenship, Children and Sustainable Development, 10.1007/978-3-319-47130-3_4, (37-43), (2016).
  • , Wanting and Liking: Components of Situated Motivation Constructs?, Mind, Brain, and Education, 11, 3, (99-108), (2017).
  • , Balancing freedom and limitations: A case study of choice provision in a personalized learning class, Teaching and Teacher Education, 66, (383), (2017).
  • , Motivating Instruction? There’s an App for That!, Intervention in School and Clinic, 52, 3, (163), (2017).
  • , Understanding Maternal Support for Autonomy in Young Children with Down Syndrome, Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 13, 2, (92-101), (2016).