What are the pros of giving students free choice?

What are the pros of giving students free choice? 

This post will be a bit different, as it is a self-reflection on a particular teaching method. After an extensive amount of observation in foreign language classrooms, both in public as well as private institutions, the question arises whether the teacher should allow students to have free choice in a particular subject taught at school.

After some consideration, giving students free choice might be beneficial.  Having freedom might cause students to be more engaged and creative in the lessons. It could help them to discover their strengths and interests by giving them more power and control over their learning process. The deeper pupil engagement would most probably result in richer learning. The more students are involved out of their own volition, their brains might be able to process and store information more readily. The boost of creativity might lead to more effective work habits and boost organization skills. For instance, children might come up with new aspects or novel games which the teacher might not have thought of before. By self-diversifying their learning, students may achieve greater self-identity. It could also not only improve their skills, but also their social and emotional skills.

The question of giving choice and my opinion:

The question that always comes into mind is — but what about the structure? How will students know what to do if teachers do not guide them? What about completing the necessary topics in the curriculum that the state requires us to do? What happens if we give them too much choice? Would it mean that they do nothing at all when we let them do whatever they want?

I am unsure what to think about this topic, as it is a novel phenomenon which is practically nowhere to be seen in the classroom environment. I do believe that there needs to be a balance between an appropriate amount of choice on the part of the students and on the part of the teachers. I think that students, or rather the teachers, should integrate some kind of structure in their learning, as it provides a framework as to what students should be focused on. It provides students learning goals to work towards, which are (and should be) created by both the students and the teacher. It means that educators should notice students’ interests and thus create interesting and engaging activities to inspire them.

Individual children are very different from each other and they have different learning needs. There are some children who are not independent enough to have complete control over their own learning, and require additional guidance, while others are the complete opposite.

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts. I do reckon, however, that I need to observe more classes which incorporate this teaching concept (a quite abstract one indeed) in order to reach a more definite opinion.

I would love to know what you think about this topic, please leave a comment down below!

Sara