Fostering Agency in
Learning

Ideas

IDEA #6: Balancing Autonomy with Structure

"It can be hard to give up control
—especially when you are on your own in a system that thrives on compliance. But it's worth it. Engagement skyrockets. Students think critically. The class culture changes into a place where students feel ownership over the learning." —John Spencer

Learning Intentions

It does not serve students for them to be compliant and passive learners, nor does it serve them to sink or swim alone. Instructors must carefully balance agency with guidance and structure to set students up for success.

Begin to Incorporate Choice

  • Consider if you are doing things for your students that they could do themselves.
  • Communicate the reasons and benefits of using choice in your curriculum.
  • Model agency/choice to familiarize students with the process.
  • Begin by including choice in a single project rather than in everything.
  • Link choice with prior knowledge; provide students with building blocks for them to put together.
  • Scaffold guidance: give students choices with a range of structure, transitioning toward choices with more autonomy.

Problem-Solving

  • Elicit and incorporate student feedback to improve structure.
  • Exercise co-agency: make decision-making and problem-solving with students.
  • Allow trial-and-error to teach students self-reliance.
  • Make small changes rather than eliminating agency strategies that are not working.
  • Discuss what does/does not work with colleagues to brainstorm solutions.

Additional Opportunities for Choice

  • "Genius Hour" Projects: Allocate 20% of class time for students to study something/work on a project of their choice.
  • Allow choice in groupwork configuration, due dates, and grading, but within a structure.
  • Guide students to help them design their own strategies/processes/projects.
  • Invite students to form, share, and support their own opinions.

Resources

  • Barnett, Clyde III. (2023). "Review of Student Agency in the Classroom: Honoring Student Voice in the Curriculum," Mid-Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 35: Iss. 2, Article 5. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1578&context=mwer
  • Dudley, L. (2026). Belonging, Voice, and Agency in Organic Chemistry. Innovative Teaching Showcase. Center for Instructional Innovation, Western Washington University.
  • Johnston, C. (2026). Cultivating Agency, Engagement, and Significant Learning in History Education. Innovative Teaching Showcase. Center for Instructional Innovation, Western Washington University.
  • Spencer, J. (2024, January 9). 7 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice in the Classroom. Spencer Education. https://spencereducation.com/tips-student-choice/
  • Stobaugh, R. (2025, December 5). Cultivating Student Agency: Empowering Students to Own Their Learning. Meteor Education. https://meteoreducation.com/cultivating-student-agency-empowering-students-to-own-their-learning/
  • Vaughn, M. (2021). Student Agency in the Classroom: Honoring Student Voice in the Curriculum. Teachers College Press.