Date of Award
4-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Mahauganee Bonds
Committee Members
Jeonghee Choi, Twila Patten
Call Number
ISBN 9798310167681
Abstract
Scripted curricula are standard in most classroom environments to provide classroom equity and standard alignment for student success. While scripted curricula are used in classrooms, student achievement is stagnant. The purpose of this holistic case study is to examine how teachers who work within the constraints of a mandated curriculum plan find and enact ways to offer students choices. It will assess whether teachers observe a shift in students’ attitudes, engagement, and motivation as their teachers participate in such work. This study will explore the significance of choice through nine teachers' experiences in book study sessions on classroom choice and interviews. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Self-efficacy, and Self-determination theory provide the theoretical framework for this study to examine affordances, constraints, and supports as teachers offer more choices in their classroom and perceived impacts on their self-efficacy, autonomy, motivation, competency, and relatedness to scripted curricula. Further research recommendations include teacher preparation, pacing alignment, and the role of social-emotional learning in classrooms. Keywords: Classroom autonomy, differentiation, classroom choice
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Millican Johnson, Jamie Renee, "What Happens When Teachers Explore Choice in Low-Choice Educational Environments? A Holistic Case Study on Classroom Autonomy." (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 6.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/6
