Term
Summer 2026
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MAT
Facilitator(s)
Karen L. Moroz
Content Expert
Elizabeth Fish
Abstract
Most people feel more motivated and invested in the work they are doing when they have a voice in the matter. This remains true for elementary students with their school work. This capstone paper analyzes and compares research articles to answer the guiding question: How can classroom strategies grounded in SEL and student choice promote independence while supporting diverse learning needs? The guiding question and project were created due to a noticeable lack of choice being represented and provided in elementary classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between student choice, social-emotional learning, and student independence to create an accessible tool for teachers to use. This paper was influenced by research on student voice, decision-making, scaffolding, motivation, and supporting diverse learners. Analysis of the research shows that choice is the most effective and successful when students are offered meaningful and intentional choices with strong amounts of structure and guidance from the teacher. This allows the children to practice decision-making and reflect on choice without becoming overwhelmed. The findings from the literature shaped the creation of Growing Independent Learners: a website designed for teachers who are wanting to implement more choice in their classroom. On the website teachers are able to find information on student choice, classroom strategies and various downloadable tools. The result of this capstone research puts forth that guided and intentional choice has high potential for increased student motivation, engagement, and ownership while still supporting diverse learning needs.
Project Type
Website Creation
Keywords
Classroom Management, Learning Styles, Social Emotional Learning
Recommended Citation
Sloan, Allison, "Implementing Student Choice Through Social-Emotional Learning to Support Independence and Motivation in Elementary Education" (2026). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 1194.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/1194
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects