Student Perspectives on the Success of Incorporating Student Choice into a Science Lab

Student choice is the practice of giving students some autonomy over their learning, such as choices of topics, assessments, processes, feedback type, etc., and it can support student motivation and engagement. In a 200-level science course at a women’s university, three distinct choices were offered to students for a lab activity. This activity was offered early in the semester to reinforce foundational concepts introduced in lecture. Students were instructed to select the lab activity that helped them practice topics they most needed to understand better. After completing the lab, students were given a survey asking about their perspectives on the success of the lab activity. Most students responded that choosing their own lab activity helped them enjoy lab more, made them feel more empowered over their learning, increased their confidence in course material, and helped them get a better grade on the exam. In open-ended questions, students indicated that choosing their own lab activity was fun, enjoyable, and helpful. This shows that offering choices of lab activities can support student learning, motivation, and autonomy in their academic development.