Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Pivotal Role of Adolescent Autonomy in Secondary School Classrooms

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Student engagement is an important contributor to school success, yet high school students routinely describe themselves as disengaged. Identifying factors that alter (increase) engagement is a key aspect of improving support for student achievement. This study investigated students’ perceptions of autonomy, teacher connection, and academic competence as predictors of changes in student engagement within the classroom from the start to the end of a course. Participants were 578 (58% female) diverse (67.8% White, 25.2% African American, 5.1% Hispanic, 1.2% Asian American) high school students from 34 classrooms who provided questionnaire data both at the start and the end of a single course. Novel results from a cross-lagged model demonstrated that students who perceived their classrooms as allowing and encouraging their own autonomy in the first few weeks increased their engagement throughout the course, rather than the typical decline in engagement that was demonstrated by students in other classrooms. This finding is unique in that it extended to both students’ perceptions of engagement and observations of student engagement, suggesting a fairly robust pattern. The pertinence of this finding to adolescent developmental needs and its relationship to educational practice is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, J. P., Hauser, S. T., Bell, K. L., & O’Connor, T. G. (1994). Longitudinal assessment of autonomy and relatedness in adolescent-family interactions as predictors of adolescent ego development and self-esteem. Child Development, 65(1), 179–194.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J. P., & Land, D. (1999). Attachment in adolescence. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment theory and research (pp. 319–331). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A. Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary school instruction and student achievement. Science, 333, 1034–1037.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., & Furlong, M. J. (2008). Student engagement with school: Critical conceptual and methodological issues of the construct. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 369–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (1996). Full information estimation in the presence of incomplete data. In G. A. Marcoulides & R. E. Schumacker (Eds.), Advanced structural equation modeling: Issues and techniques (pp. 243–277). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chouinard, R., Karsenti, T., & Roy, N. (2007). Relations among competence beliefs, utility value, achievement goals, and effort in mathematics. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77, 501–517.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D. V., & Sparrow, S. A. (1981). Developing criteria for establishing interrater reliability of specific items: Applications to assessment of adaptive behavior. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 86, 127–137.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, W. A., & Laursen, B. (2004). Changing relationships, changing youth: Interpersonal contexts of adolescent development. Journal of Early Adolescence, 24, 55–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croninger, R., & Lee, V. E. (2001). Social capital and dropping out of high school: Benefits to at-risk students of teachers’ support and guidance. The Teachers College Record, 103, 548–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curran, P. J. (2000). A latent curve framework for studying developmental trajectories of adolescent substance use. In J. Rose, L. Chassin, C. Presson, & J. Sherman (Eds.), Multivariate applications in substance use research (pp. 1–42). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L. (2009). Large-scale school reform as viewed from the self-determination theory perspective. Theory and Research in Education, 7, 244–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., Connell, J. P., & Ryan, R. M. (1989). Self-determination in a work organization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 580–590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., Leone, D. R., Usunov, J., & Kornazheva, B. P. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in the work organizations of a former eastern bloc country: A cross-cultural study of self-determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 930–942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denissen, J. J. A., Zarrett, N. R., & Eccles, J. S. (2007). I like to do it, I’m able, and I know I am: Longitudinal couplings between domain-specific achievement, self-concept, and interest. Child Development, 78, 430–447.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S. (2004). Schools, academic motivation, and stage-environment fit. In R. M. Lerner & L. D. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 125–153). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., Early, D., Fraser, K., Belansky, E., & McCarthy, K. (1997). The relation of connection, regulation, and support for autonomy to adolescents’ functioning. Journal of Adolescent Research, 12, 263–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finn, J. D. (1993). School engagement and students at risk. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodenow, C. (1993). Classroom belonging among early adolescent students. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 13, 21–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, A., Allen, J. P., Mikami, A. Y., Hafen, C., & Pianta, R. C. (2011). Effects of a professional development program on behavioral engagement of students in middle and high school (submitted).

  • Grouzet, F. M. E., Vallerand, R. J., Thill, E. E., & Provencher, P. J. (2004). From environmental factors to outcomes: A test of an integrated motivational sequence. Motivation and Emotion, 28, 331–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardre, P. L., & Reeve, J. M. (2003). A motivational model of rural students’ intentions to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 347–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoge, D. R., Smit, E. K., & Hanson, S. L. (1990). School experiences predicting changes in self-esteem of sixth- and seventh-grade students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 117–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, D. A. (1975). Cross-lagged panel correlation: A test for spuriousness. Psychological Bulletin, 82, 345–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindermann, T. A. (1993). Natural peer groups as contexts for individual development: The case of children’s motivation in school. Developmental Psychology, 29, 970–977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindermann, T. A., McCollam, T. L., & Gibson, E. G. (1996). Peer networks and student’s classroom engagement during childhood and adolescence. In J. Juvonen & K. Wentzel (Eds.), Social motivation: Understanding children’s school adjustment (pp. 279–312). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Klem, A. M., & Connell, J. P. (2004). Relationships matter: Linking teacher support to student engagement and achievement. Journal of School Health, 74, 262–273.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Legault, L., Green-Demers, I., & Pelletier, L. (2006). Why do high school students lack motivation in the classroom? Toward an understanding of academic motivation and the role of social support. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 567–582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, H. M. (2000). Student engagement in instructional activity: Patterns in the elementary, middle, and high school years. American Education Research Journal, 37, 153–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A. J. (2009). Age appropriateness and motivation, engagement, and performance in high school: Effects of age within cohort, grade retention, and delayed school entry. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 101–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McElhaney, K. B., Allen, J. P., Stephenson, J. C., & Hare, A. L. (2009). Attachment and autonomy during adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 358–403). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Midgley, C., Maehr, M. L., Hruda, L. A., Anderman, E., Anderman, L., Gheen, M., et al. (2000). Manual for the patterns of adaptive learning scale. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, C. (2009). Parent and teacher relationships as predictors of school engagement and functioning among low-income urban youth. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 29, 376–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, B. O., & Muthén, L. K. (2010). Mplus (Version 6.00) [Computer Software]. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell, S. L., & Morrison, G. M. (2003). A factor analysis exploring school bonding and related constructs among upper elementary students. The California School Psychologist, 8, 53–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, B., & Sexton, D. (2008). Threat rigidity, school reform, and how teachers view their work inside current education policy contexts. American Education Research Journal, 46, 9–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & Allen, J. P. (2008). Building capacity for positive youth development in secondary school classrooms: Changing teachers’ interactions with students. In M. B. Shinn & H. Yoshikawa (Eds.), Toward positive youth development: Transforming schools and community programs. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & Hamre, B. K. (2009). Conceptualization, measurement, and improvement of classroom processes: Standardized observation can leverage capacity. Educational Researcher, 38, 109–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratelle, C. F., Vallerand, R. J., Chantal, Y., & Provencher, P. (2004). Cognitive adaptation and mental health: A motivational analysis. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 459–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raudenbush, S. W. (2008). Advancing education policy by advancing research on instruction. American Education Research Journal, 45, 206–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reis, H. T., Sheldon, K. M., Gable, S. L., Roscoe, J., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Daily well-being: The role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 419–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roderick, M., & Engle, M. (2001). The grasshopper and the ant: Motivational responses of low-achieving students to high-stakes testing. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23, 197–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roeser, R. W., Eccles, J. S., & Sameroff, A. J. (1998). Academic and emotional functioning in early adolescence: Longitudinal relations, patterns, and prediction by experience in middle school. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 321–352.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roeser, R. W., Midgley, C., & Urdan, T. C. (1996). Perceptions of the school psychological environment and early adolescents’ psychological and behavioral functioning in school: The mediating role of goals and belonging. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 408–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E. A., & Belmont, M. J. (1993). Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal effects of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 571–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E. A., Furrer, C., Marchand, G., & Kindermann, T. (2008). Engagement and disaffection in the classroom: Part of a larger motivational dynamic? Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 765–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. C., Ito, A., Gruenewald, J., & Yeh, H. (2010). Promoting school engagement: Attitudes toward school among American and Japanese youth. Journal of School Violence, 9, 392–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Staff, J., Schulenberg, J. E., & Bachman, J. G. (2010). Adolescent work intensity, school performance, and academic engagement. Sociology of Education, 83, 183–200.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L., Brown, B., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1996). Beyond the classroom: Why school reform has failed and what parents need to do. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L., & Silverberg, S. B. (1986). The vicissitudes of autonomy in early adolescence. Child Development, 57, 841–851.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Urdan, T., & Schoenfelder, E. (2006). Classroom effects on student motivation: Goal structures, social relationships, and competence beliefs. Journal of School Psychology, 44, 331–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vallerand, R. J., Fortier, M. S., & Guay, F. (1997). Self-determination and persistence in a real- life setting: Toward a motivation model of high school dropout. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1161–1176.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Ryzin, M. J., Gravely, A. A., & Roseth, C. J. (2009). Autonomy, belongingness, and engagement in school as contributors to adolescent well-being. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 1–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Way, N., Reddy, R., & Rhodes, J. (2007). Students’ perceptions of school climate during the middle school years: Associations with trajectories of psychological and behavioral adjustment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 40, 194–213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Schiefele, U., Roeser, R. W., & Davis-Kean, P. (2006). Development of achievement motivation. In N. Eisenberg (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (Vol. 3, 6th ed) (pp. 933–1002). New York, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willingham, W. W., Pollack, J. M., & Lewis, C. (2002). Grades and test scores: Accounting for observed differences. Journal of Educational Measurement, 39, 1–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, N. B., Lawrenz, F., Huffman, D., & Schultz, M. (2006). Viewing the school environment through multiple lenses: In search of school-level variables tied to student achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43, 237–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study and its write-up were supported by grants from the William T. Grant Foundation and the Institute for Education Science (R305A100367).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Christopher A. Hafen, Joseph P. Allen, Bridget Hamre & Robert C. Pianta

  2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Amori Yee Mikami

  3. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA

    Anne Gregory

Authors
  1. Christopher A. Hafen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joseph P. Allen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amori Yee Mikami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anne Gregory
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bridget Hamre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert C. Pianta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher A. Hafen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hafen, C.A., Allen, J.P., Mikami, A.Y. et al. The Pivotal Role of Adolescent Autonomy in Secondary School Classrooms. J Youth Adolescence 41, 245–255 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9739-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9739-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation