What Is Student Voice & Choice?

What Is Student Voice & Choice?

Student voice and choice is a teaching practice that gives students a say in their own learning. This means providing meaningful opportunities for them to make decisions about what they study, who they work with, and why the learning is important to them. When you give students agency in their education, it fosters greater engagement and ownership, helping them become more self-directed learners.

Student Voice & Choice Strategies and Activities

Incorporating student voice and choice can support personalized learning and student motivation. This practice centers on giving students structured options in their assignments and learning activities, which allows their perspectives to be reflected in the classroom.

These strategies can be integrated into your classroom in various ways, from co-creating classroom norms to offering different formats for projects. The objective is to incorporate student input and interests into the learning process, making it more relevant to them.

Here are some strategies and activities to consider:

• Brainstorming Topics: Students generate a class-wide list of subjects and questions they are curious about.
• Inquiry Teams: Students form small groups to research a topic of their choice from the class list and present their findings.
• Feedback Surveys: Use Likert scales to gather information on student interests and understanding to help guide instruction.
• Think-Alouds: You can model how to process and connect with a text, after which students practice the technique with partners.
• Project Options: Provide a menu of different project formats for students to choose from when demonstrating their learning.
• Co-Creating Norms: Involve students in the process of establishing the rules and learning approaches for the classroom.
• Structured Choices: Offer a curated set of options for assignments or activities instead of completely open-ended choices.
• Choice Reflection: Ask students questions that guide them to think about the choices they made and the results of those decisions.
• Collaborative Rubrics: Work with students to develop the criteria for an assignment, which they can then use for self-assessment.
• Interest-Based Examples: Select learning examples or add books to the classroom library that reflect stated student interests.

Student Voice & Choice Benefits

Giving students a say in their learning can influence motivation and help personalize their education. This approach involves offering choices in how they learn and demonstrate understanding, such as using a choice board for projects or reading responses.

Proponents suggest this practice can increase student engagement and ownership, potentially leading to improved academic outcomes. However, others raise concerns that too much choice might lead to gaps in skill development or allow some students to fall behind if not structured carefully.

Here are some potential outcomes to consider when implementing student voice and choice:

• Increased Motivation: Students may show more interest and feel more invested in their work when they have a say in the topic or format.
• Skill Gaps: Students might consistently choose easier options, neglecting the development of essential skills like writing.
• Greater Ownership: Providing agency can encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning process and outcomes.
• Academic Risk: Unstructured choices could lead to poor performance on state tests or weaken foundational academic skills.
• Skill Development: The practice can help build executive function and meta-cognitive skills as students learn to plan and manage their own work.
• Procrastination: Flexible deadlines may cause some students to put off work, creating inequities in progress.
• Differentiated Support: Choice boards and varied project formats can help you meet diverse learning needs and styles in the classroom.
• Implementation Challenges: Shifting to this model requires a change in teaching practice, and finding the right amount of student control can be difficult.
• Improved Performance: Some schools report higher test scores and lower absentee rates after implementing these strategies.
• Standards Conflict: There can be tension between offering student choice and ensuring all required state standards are met.

Student Voice & Choice Examples

Student voice and choice can be applied through various classroom activities and strategies. These methods give students structured opportunities to influence their learning environment and assignments, from co-creating classroom rules to selecting project topics.

Implementing these strategies can influence student engagement and the development of decision-making skills. It also requires careful planning to balance student input with curriculum requirements and to provide enough structure so students are not overwhelmed by their options.

Here are some examples of student voice and choice activities:

• Project Options: Offer students a variety of project types to demonstrate their learning.
• Inquiry Teams: Students form groups to research a topic of their choice from a class-generated list and present their findings.
• Feedback Surveys: Use tools like Likert scales to gather information on student interests and understanding to help guide instruction.
• Co-Creating Norms: Involve students in the process of establishing the rules and learning approaches for the classroom.
• Structured Choices: Provide a curated set of options for assignments or activities instead of completely open-ended choices to guide decision-making.

Student Voice & Choice Best Practices

Implementing best practices for student voice and choice can influence personalized learning and student motivation. These practices often involve creating structured opportunities for students to make decisions about their learning process and how they demonstrate their understanding.

To apply these practices, you can start by identifying specific points in your lessons where student input is possible, such as in choosing project formats or research topics. This approach involves a shift from a teacher-directed model to one where the teacher facilitates and guides students as they take on more ownership.

Here are some best practices to consider:

• Scaffold Choices: Provide support and structure for students as they practice making decisions, as not all students are ready for full autonomy.
• Use Student-Centered Tools: Incorporate tools like choice boards, which can offer a variety of activities for a specific standard and allow students to select tasks that align with their learning style.
• Integrate Student Feedback: Regularly gather student input through methods like surveys or informal conversations to inform instructional decisions and understand student interests.
• Allow Student-Generated Options: Move beyond teacher-created lists by allowing students to propose their own ways to demonstrate learning, such as adding a column for their ideas on a choice board.
• Provide Adult Support: Prepare both students and adults for collaboration by offering mentorship and training to ensure student contributions are meaningful.

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