Decision-making experiences and academic autonomy in higher education students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55560/arete.2026.24.12.20Keywords:
Student autonomy, decision-making, self-regulation, student experience, higher educationAbstract
In academic life, making decisions is not always a simple process. Many of the choices students make regarding their education become part of how they build their own autonomy. With this as a starting point, the study aimed to understand the experiences of higher education students when faced with decision-making, as well as the meaning they attribute to the opportunity to decide for themselves. A qualitative approach was employed, using a phenomenological design. Ten students were selected through purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their experiences. Through the review and interpretation of their accounts, six categories were identified: personal academic decisions, emotional experiences related to decision-making, autonomy and self-regulation, environmental influences, institutional academic conditions, and the autonomous effects on personal development. The participants' accounts reveal doubts, moments of reflection, a sense of responsibility for their choices, and, in various instances, the need to seek guidance from others. These findings suggest that academic autonomy is something that is constructed throughout the educational experience. In this process, students come to know themselves better, gain confidence in their choices, and take on a more active role in shaping their own academic trajectories.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Efraín Núñez Villazana, Agripino Quispe Ramos, Rocío Valdivia Fierro, Eugenio Taipe Haqquehua, Johnny Sarco Ramírez
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