Faculty Insights on Teaching Self-Determination Skills in Postsecondary Education

While self-determination skills may serve as a predictor of success in higher education, limited research exists on faculty attitudes toward teaching these skills to students with and without disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine faculty’s knowledge of self-determination and perception of teaching self-determination skills to all college students. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance. Findings indicated that while the majority of participants were familiar with the term “self-determination,” and recognized its instructional value, their responses varied on their likelihood to teach skills. On average, faculty reported being somewhat likely to teach individual components of self-determination skills. The most commonly used strategy to teach self-determination skills included infusing self-determination in instructional activities and using structured assignments. The type of teaching method used differed by sex/gender, race/ethnicity, age, academic rank, academic department, class size, and years of experience. Recommendations and implications for practice and research are discussed.