Autonomy – Our Common Need
We know that all human beings seek autonomy. This is particularly true as children mature into adolescents and young adults. While we generally think of it as our need to be in control, autonomy is a complex orientation composed of the dual senses of choice (the sense of being able to choose from different options for action) and causation (the sense that the choices we make can cause or influence an outcome).
To feel autonomous toward a task, a person must enjoy both senses. He must feel that he has some choice in execution of the task, how he will do it, using what resources. And, he must feel that the choices he makes will have a causal relationship to the outcome.
This is why autonomy is fundamental to motivation. When a student is held accountable for an outcome, whether it be a grade on a Biology test, a piano solo or a woods project, he will ultimately decide how hard to work at it. That decision will likely come down to his subconscious consideration of whether the task offers sufficient autonomy.
There is some evidence that schools are not autonomy-supportive environments. We should all work to evaluate and change this, if necessary. Very simply, when we are held accountable for outcomes over which we feel little or no control, it leads to feelings of futility. These feelings sap our energy and motivation toward a given task. On the other hand, when we are held accountable for outcomes over which we feel a high degree of autonomy, there is almost no limit to how hard we will work. It's true for us, and it's true for our children as well.