Chapter 6 - The Development of Self-Determination in Middle Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

This chapter deals with the development of self-determination in middle childhood and adolescence. This chapter focuses on the issue of self-determination, the purpose that children come to experience a sense of self-determination in the activities they pursue, whether this makes a difference in children's performance and well-being. It also answers the question of preventing children from feeling a sense of self-determination and the work of educators and psychologists, which can facilitate self-determination. This chapter says that when it considers the development of self-determination, it can approach at least two ways. First it thinks the purpose of people, moving toward the sense of self-determination. It can try to understand the developmental process. Second, it asks about individual differences: the purpose is that some individuals are self-determined and others are not for the very same activity. These two issues are linked in than; if one understands the general process through which development occurs, one begins to understand the origins of individual differences. This chapter concludes that new studies can teach ways to intervene with at-risk children to restore their enjoyment of learning and their self-determination around school-related and other tasks. It is encouraging to imagine a classroom of children, fully engaged in their work, following their interests and natural curiosity, and extending themselves, out of a love of learning, beyond the minimum required of them. Such a classroom is the promise of future work on self-determination.