The Power of Preference: How Assignment Choice Shapes Learning in Statistics

Assignment choice is an increasingly explored instructional strategy in undergraduate education, particularly in courses where students often struggle to find personal relevance or maintain motivation. In statistics education, where conceptual abstraction and perceived difficulty are common barriers, offering structured choices in group formation and dataset selection may enhance engagement and learning outcomes. This study investigates the effects of assignment choice on student self-efficacy, performance, and group behavior within a large introductory statistics course. Using a one-way ANOVA design, the study compared academic outcomes across three conditions: randomly assigned groups, self-selected groups, and independent work. Students completed six scaffolded projects over a semester, each offering varying levels of autonomy in group and topic selection. Quantitative analysis revealed that group work, whether randomly assigned or self-selected, resulted in higher average performance and greater score stability compared to individual assignments. Student feedback also indicated strong perceived value in collaborative project experiences. These findings suggest that offering structured choice in collaborative formats supports both student autonomy and academic success. The results have implications for instructional design in statistics and other quantitative disciplines, highlighting the pedagogical benefits of flexible group structures and the need for targeted support for students who choose to work independently.