Switching Drivers: Student Autonomy as a Barrier to Competency-Based Education Implementation in Michigan

• In Event: Considering Diverse Stakeholders in Large-Scale Education Reform

Abstract

Drawing on data from an on-going mixed-methods study of competency-based education (CBE), this paper presents evidence as to what extent CBE can increase students’ ownership of their learning. Drawing on interview data, the analysis focuses on how teachers have identified students’ ability to direct their own learning as a significant barrier to the successful implementation of CBE. Findings suggest that students’ prior educational experiences emphasized teacher-centered instruction and have not prepared them to direct their own learning. These findings have implications for future CBE implementations and suggest that work must be undertaken to prepare students to take an active role in their learning, without which it will be difficult for students to develop a sense of autonomy.

Author

• Danielle Sutherland, Michigan State University