Choice and voice in middle school: cultivating agency for well-being
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Date
2019
Authors
Hall, Jennifer
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Abstract
Self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2009) suggests that teacher provided supports for autonomy, competence and relatedness facilitate motivation and, in turn, students’ engagement and overall well-being. The literature related to well-being, however, does not provide a clear and thorough description of the factors that connect well-being and agency. This phenomenological case study explores the factors that influence students’ agency for well-being and answers the question, “How does a choice and voice teaching approach in English Language Arts impact middle years students’ agency for well-being?” The study involved fifteen participants who were students taught by the researcher in Grades 7 and 8 during the 2012 - 2018 school years. Ethics approval was given to conduct individual interviews, a focus group discussion and to use students’ writing pieces as data. In exploring the literature and hearing from the students it became apparent that choice and voice opportunities are seldom incorporated in the pedagogical toolkits of upper elementary and secondary teachers in the formal education system. In order for students to have power and agency they require autonomy support with a focus on collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. Findings revealed that human agency relates to these needs for well-being, and that the Choice and Voice based approach described promotes self-esteem and confidence, and increases student motivation and engagement. As such, the study reveals an approach that all teachers can implement to support and enhance learners’ overall agency for well-being.
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Keywords
Choice, Voice, Literacy, Reading, Writing, Well-being, Agency