Engaging in Student Choice

Teaching academic material to students is only half the responsibility of educators. In order for students to fully retain information and become active learners, engaging them in their curriculum is vital. Offering choice to students presents the opportunity for this active learning and engagement to take place. Student choice must be meaningful and applicable to student’s interests so that they can successfully connect what they are learning to their own lives. During this self-study, fourth grader students were provided choice within lessons and assessment activities in various subjects. These students were then observed while participating in choice-related material to determine overall engagement and comprehension of lessons being taught. The purpose of this study was to determine how choice affects student engagement in the classroom; specifically, the impact of hands-on learning and independent inquiry. Analysis of lesson plans, assessments, and student feedback illustrated that student choice is effective in engaging students