Adapting the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for Elementary Reading: Design-Based Development and Feasibility

Abstract

Enhancing self-determination can improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities, yet there is limited guidance on how to integrate self-determination skills into academic interventions while preserving theoretical integrity and contextual fit. This study reports on the first two years of a multiyear project to adapt the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) for upper-elementary students with or at risk for reading disability (RD). Through iterative cycles of design and refinement, we developed the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for Reading (SDLMI-R) while maintaining the original model's core components. We examined feasibility, acceptability, and promise using data from students, interventionists, and an expert teacher panel. Findings indicate that SDLMI-R lessons can be feasibly implemented, with evidence of students’ participation in goal-directed processes and early indicators of self-determination. This work highlights the potential of integrating self-determination within reading intervention and offers a model for adapting theoretically grounded interventions for new populations and contexts.