During a classroom visit, I once watched a lesson that looked highly active from the outside. Students were working in groups, moving between tasks, writing on worksheets, and discussing their answers. The teacher was supportive and well prepared. The classroom felt alive.
But as I listened more closely, I noticed something interesting. Students were busy, but most of the important decisions had already been made for them. The worksheet told them what to do, the steps were fixed, and the final answer was already expected. When one student was asked why the group chose a particular idea, the answer was simple: “Because the worksheet said so.”
That moment reminded me that student-centered learning is not only about activity. Students can be active and still have very little agency. They can talk, move, complete tasks, and even enjoy the lesson, but still not make meaningful decisions about their learning.
For me, one useful question to ask in any classroom is this: What decisions still belong to the students?
This question helps us look beyond surface participation. It helps us notice whether students are only following instructions or whether they are also making choices, explaining reasons, and taking responsibility for the direction of their work.
Student agency does not mean giving students complete freedom all the time. In real classrooms, teachers still need structure. Lessons need direction. Students need support, especially when they are learning something new. Agency grows best when teachers design small spaces for students to make meaningful decisions within clear boundaries.
For example, in a reading lesson, students might choose which piece of evidence best supports an answer. In a writing lesson, they might decide which opening sentence creates the strongest effect. In a group project, they might choose how to present their findings. In an English language class, students might decide which expression sounds more natural for a particular audience and explain why.
These choices may look small, but they change the role of the learner. Students are no longer only completing the task. They are thinking about the task. They are judging, selecting, explaining, and improving.
Simple ways to build student agency in everyday lessons
Teachers can begin by identifying one decision students can make during the lesson. It does not need to be a big decision. It only needs to require thinking. For example, students may choose which example best supports an idea, which question should guide their group discussion, or which version of their answer is stronger.
The next step is to ask students to explain the reason behind their choice. A decision without explanation can become guessing, but a decision with reasoning helps students become more aware of their thinking. Simple prompts such as “Why did you choose this?” or “What made this option stronger than the others?” can help students connect choice with judgment.
Teachers can also let students review or revise their decision after feedback. This shows them that agency is not only about choosing once. It is also about learning from the choice. A student may first choose one argument, one sentence, one method, or one idea, then return to it later and decide whether to keep it, improve it, or replace it.
One practical way to start is to review a lesson and mark all the decisions already made by the teacher, textbook, worksheet, or digital tool. Then choose one decision to return to students. This small shift can make the lesson feel more thoughtful without making it less structured.
For AI-supported tasks, teachers can ask students to compare two AI suggestions and decide which one better fits the purpose, audience, or evidence. The focus should not be on using the tool quickly, but on helping students practice judgment.
Student agency in the age of AI
This is especially important in the age of AI. When tools can generate answers, ideas, outlines, and explanations, students need more opportunities to practice judgment. They need to ask: Is this useful? Is this accurate? Does this sound like me? What should I accept, change, reject, or improve?
The future of education will not only ask students to know more. It will ask them to decide more wisely. That begins in ordinary classroom moments, when teachers leave space for students to think, choose, and explain.
Student agency does not always begin with a big project or a major reform. Sometimes it begins with one small classroom question: What decision can students make today?
When that question becomes part of planning, student-centered learning becomes more than a classroom style. It becomes a way of helping learners see themselves as people whose thinking can shape the work they do.
About the Author
Dr. Le Dinh Bao Quoc is an educator, author, and co-founder of Voices of Change. He is also Founder and CEO of Pro.Ed Education Solutions and Head of EduVerse, a global professional development network for educators. His work focuses on teacher development, educational leadership, AI in education, and practical innovation that helps educators grow with purpose and impact.