Student autonomy as a contemporary measure of care theory and student perceptions of care

Date

2019-05

Authors

Whitley Grote, Diane

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Abstract

While there are a variety of teaching methods that may or may not be successful, this study focused on a student led, autonomous classroom environment—where autonomy is defined as offering students several choices and much control of a classroom. The researcher addressed how this learning environment supported the idea of demonstrating care in the classroom based on Nel Noddings’ care theory and Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. The study addressed guidelines for professors at the community college based on students’ perceptions of care in the autonomy-based classroom. The data collected for this study reflected two campuses at one community college in central Texas. The study, conducted during fall 2018, focused on students enrolled in the researcher’s three English autonomy-based classes as well as students enrolled in an English professor colleague’s three instructor-controlled classes. The populations varied in ethnicity, gender, and age based on the two participating campus locations. Data relied on student participation in a pre and post-survey and results for them (generating a sample size of 35), interviews with six students (two from each of the autonomous courses), an interview with an English professor colleague, and student course outcomes. The study instrument used—Faculty Caring Survey—was developed by Garza and Overschelde (2017) to determine professor caring behaviors as identified by undergraduate and graduate students. Quantitative data statistically revealed students in the instructor-controlled classroom favored this method of learning and earned slightly higher grades than students in the autonomous classroom. However, there was not enough data to offer a final determination. All interviews, on the other hand, provided support for students’ perceptions of caring behaviors and recognition of the benefits of an autonomous classroom. The evidence base for care theory at the community college level requires further analysis. A similar or replicated study should be conducted to include student voices in the instructor-controlled classroom. Also, a study that includes more student input from both the instructor-controlled and autonomous classrooms would offer further analysis of student perceptions.

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Keywords

autonomy support, care theory, caring behaviors, perceptions of care, self-motivation, student autonomy

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Attribution 4.0 International

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