The basics
The basics
Embedded Files
Our course centers around the theme promoting learner autonomy from an inclusive perspective. That's quite a mouthful! In the kick-off meeting, we have touched upon different aspects of the theme and how they are addressed during the course. In this step, you become familiar with the relevant terminology, facts and principles of (the promotion of) learner autonomy to get you and your team started.
This step will take you about 5 hours. You can find the general planning of the course here.
When choice motivates and when it does not: A reading guide
When choice motivates and when it does not: A reading guide
As a starting point, we read the article When choice motivates and when it does not by Idit Katz and Avi Assor, published in the Educational Psychology Review (October 2006, pp. 429-442):
This article addresses the controversy regarding the value of offering choices as a teaching practice. Inconsistent of results regarding the effects of choice in various settings suggest that choice can be either motivating or de-motivating. Based on the self-determination theory of motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2000), we propose that choice can be motivating when the options meet the students’ need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. For example, choice is motivating when the options are relevant to the students’ interests and goals (autonomy support), are not too numerous or complex (competence support), and are congruent with the values of the students’ culture (relatedness support). Given the many factors involved, it is not surprising that in some studies choice was not found to promote engagement. However, when choice was offered in a way that met the needs of the students, it was found to enhance motivation, learning, and well-being.
Read the article and try to understand the following concepts:
Autonomy
Choice
Autonomy-support
See also this brochure for the annual teacher professionalisation track on autonomy-support at Radboud University. The brochure is in Dutch. An English translation is provided for in the Google Drive folder (-> Course materials).Motivation
Katz & Assor 2006 refer to Deci & Ryan 2000 for the self-determination theory of motivation. You can find the article here.Self-determination theory
Find more information here, under ‘Education in Practice’.
Answer the following questions:
What is autonomy according to Katz & Assor?
What is needed for autonomy-support according to Katz & Assor?
What kind of choices motivate? Use one example from the article and one of your own (as a student or as a teacher).
What kind of choices do not motivate? Use one example from the article and one of your own (as a student or as a teacher).
Discuss the answers in your group. You can use the following questions:
What are the main similarities between your answers?
What are the main differences between your answers?
Formulate a common answer for each of the questions above.
What are the main take-aways for your (future) teaching practice?
Make sure to take notes in a team document in Google Drive: they will come in handy when working on the case study.
Further reading
Further reading
Three additional sources are already mentioned above:
The Radboud University brochure on autonomy-support. The brochure is in Dutch. An English translation is provided for in the Google Drive folder (-> Course materials).
Deci & Ryan 2000 on the self-determination theory of motivation
More information on self-determination theory on the website of CSDT, the Centre for Self-Determination Theory.
The website of CSDT (https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/) is worth exploring: it contains tons of topics related to the theme of self-determination and many open access-articles that may be useful for your case study during this course - or for future study and practice.
Help
Help
Consult your teacher trainer via e-mail or on campus. It is also possible to contact the coordinator of STEP, Esmée Bruggink. She can help you out with practical matters and connect you to teacher trainers from Radboud University when you have questions on the assignments of this step specifically.
Are any of the links to the materials for this case study unavailable to you? Downloads of all course materials are also available in our Google Drive.
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