"Knowledge is power, the richest people still be trying to learn": a study on self-determination and design thinking

Abstract

Current educational structures have policy makers focused on standardized assessment achievement rather than social and relational development which influences success (McHugh, 2013). Many school districts lack systematic and coordinated efforts to increase the needs of students (Graves, 2017), and the circumstances become more difficult when schools are in underdeveloped environments not designed to excel. The same is for alternative programs, which are often an afterthought in education, and struggle to create success for students who fall through the gaps. These concerns lead to an action research study which investigated how community service through self-determinative skills and design thinking could increase student success and engagement. Self-Determination Theory is defined as a process that promotes autonomy, competency, and relatedness which drive basic psychological needs (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Meanwhile, Design thinking is an open-ended process of inquiry and reflection that offers students an outlet for the knowledge they've gained (Portnoy, 2019). Engaging in multiple cycles of qualitative data analysis and action research conducted through interviews, surveys, and a design thinking co-created with student participants presented new opportunities for students to find success, purpose, and collaboration. Data implies that community outreach can influence how students learn as social advocates. Results provide recommendations to best support design thinking and how it may promote student success and activism within society.