Growing understandings of self-determination: exploring the experiences of students and teachers implementing goal setting and action planning interventions

Introduction High school students with disabilities have an array of experiences with learning and enacting self-determination skills. Methods The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to understand the ways in which students and teachers understand self-determination and goal setting as they engaged in teacher-delivered [i.e., Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI)] and technology-delivered [i.e., Goal Setting Challenge App (GSC App)] self-determination instruction. Results Teacher and student participants described ways that instructional methods supported conversations and planning, which resulted in increased self-reflection and shifted confidence. Intervention modality (i.e., teacher-delivered vs. technology-delivered) shaped reports of engagement and perceived usefulness. Discussion Findings highlight the importance of teacher perceptions of learners with disabilities as competent, the importance of teachers supporting student's engagement in goal setting and attainment across modalities, and the individual nature of teaching and learning across instructional modalities. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.