Influence of Assignment Choice Opportunities on Student Motivation, Stress, and Perceptions of Academic Rigor

Student-centered pedagogical approaches are increasingly common and can include providing students with assignment choices (e.g., choice in topic and/or assignment modality (written paper vs. presentation, etc.). In Fall 2026, we sought to better understand how incorporating choice into our courses impacted student motivation, student stress, and student perceptions of academic rigor. To accomplish this, we surveyed 300 undergraduate students across five courses at a large R1 public university in the Northeastern United States about their experience with topic choice in graded assignments. We asked quantitative and qualitative questions about how and why they made their choices, as well as their perceptions of motivation, stress, and academic rigor. Eighty-six percent of students reported that topic choice helped them develop knowledge and skills, and 85% indicated that choice increased their motivation to complete the assignment. Most students selected topics because they were interested in learning more about the subject, identifying personal relevance as the primary motivation for their choice. Notably, offering choice did not significantly increase student stress—71% of students would prefer having a choice over instructor-assigned topics. Additionally, 85% of students reported that choice enhanced their perception of rigor and learning. These findings suggest that providing students with structured choice opportunities in assignments can effectively increase motivation and enhance learning without substantially increasing stress, and that students value agency in their academic work particularly when it comes to pursuing topics that are personally relevant to them or that allow them to learn something new.