Autonomy Support in Classrooms: Case Analysis of Classroom Contexts that Create Passionate Learners

• Main Author: Brown, Kim M
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Educational psychology; Psychology
• ISBN: 1339697130; 9781339697130

Student engagement is a central component for students’ success (Fredricks et al., 2004) and therefore, an important area to study. Engagement “expresses the behavioral intensity and emotional quality of a student’s active involvement during a learning activity” (Jang, Deci, & Reeve, 2010, p. 588) where the students are attentive, commit time, attention, and effort, and persist with the task (Schlechty, 2011). According to Fredricks, Blumenfield, and Paris (2004) engagement includes three subtypes; behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. Unfortunately, American students become less engaged the longer they are in school (Gallup Student Poll, 2012). The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret students’ perceptions of their classroom experiences depending on whether they are in classrooms with teachers identified as autonomy supportive as compared to controlling (Deci & Ryan, 2010) at the fifth, eighth, and tenth grade level in relation to the core attributes of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The related research question/hypotheses were: How does teacher language affect a student’s view of self and peers in an autonomy supportive classroom as compared to a controlling classroom? What distinctions can be made between an autonomy supportive and/or controlling classroom in relation to the construct of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement? The research approach was a sequential explanatory design using data gathered from a teacher questionnaire and students’ perception of autonomy supportive compared to controlling classrooms. Data were collected and analyzed from surveys and interviews. In this article, the theoretical model for increasing student engagement is described in additional detail in a separate publication written by the author (Brown, Frontier, Viegut, 2016). The study found there were eight primary themes. The themes of interactions are respectful and warm, sense of belonging, high expectation and challenge, enthusiasm for teaching, and students taking a role in ownership were found in the autonomy supportive classrooms. The theme of mutual trust and partnership and sense of humor was found in both autonomy supportive and controlling classrooms, and the theme of compliance was found in the controlling classrooms. The implications are significant for educators to understand how autonomy supportive behaviors influence student engagement.