Creating a Self-Directed Learning Environment: Integrating Motivational Interviewing to Shape School Culture
- Greg Mullen
- Apr 30
- 18 min read
As school leaders, we have the unique opportunity to shape not just the educational experience of students, but also the culture and values that guide our entire school community. By fostering a culture of collaboration, reflection, and empowerment, we can create a self-directed learning environment where both students and teachers thrive.
One powerful framework to support this vision is Motivational Interviewing (MI)—a counseling approach grounded in empathetic listening and collaborative goal-setting. At the heart of MI is the avoiding of the fixing reflex, or righting reflex—the natural tendency to immediately offer solutions or "fix" problems. This approach can transform the way we interact with our teachers and staff, enabling a deeper level of engagement and buy-in.
This article is organized into THREE PARTS:
Understanding MI as a Powerful Tool for School Leadership
Using MI to Create a Culture of "Self-Directed Schooling"
Bringing it All Together (The "Self-Directed Process")
How Empowered Teachers Empower Students
In these three sections, we will explore how school leaders can integrate MI principles into their leadership practices, understanding Motivational Interviewing and its principles with specific elements of culture and core values according to the Mullen Bioecological Model for Who We Are and How We Learn. The goal is to support a school culture that fosters self-direction and empowerment for staff and students alike. We will also reflect on how the components of MI can mirror the elements in a self-directed schooling model that ensures that structural relationships, decision-making, and norms are rooted in a shared language for shared understanding of effective transformational change.
PART 1: Understanding MI as a Powerful Tool for School Leadership
What is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a person-centered, goal-oriented conversational approach designed to enhance intrinsic motivation and foster positive behavioral change. Rather than offering immediate solutions or directives, MI emphasizes collaboration, respect, and empathy in dialogue. It helps individuals explore and articulate their own reasons for change, empowering them to take ownership of their development.
In the context of school leadership, MI allows principals and leadership teams to build stronger relationships with teachers and staff by engaging in meaningful conversations. Rather than imposing solutions or presuming the root of challenges, MI encourages school leaders to listen attentively, ask thought-provoking questions, and guide staff in discovering their own motivations for improvement, offering solutions only at the request of staff. This approach not only improves the problem-solving process but also nurtures a culture of trust, openness, and shared responsibility for sustaining a healthy school culture.
By integrating MI into leadership practices, principals can shift away from a top-down, directive style to one that supports reflection and facilitates self-directed professional development. Ultimately, MI helps create an environment where collaborative conversations lead to empowered, motivated educators and, in turn, foster a more engaged learning environment for students.
What is the "fixing reflex"?
For school principals and leadership teams, the fixing reflex is a natural impulse and is often embedded in the structural relationship between a school's staff and admin. When faced with challenges or resistance from staff, the immediate tendency is often to offer quick solutions, directives, or advice. This reflex stems from the desire to resolve issues efficiently and demonstrate leadership but also to ensure student learning is seamless and effective. However, while well-intentioned, this desire to "fix" can undermine intrinsic motivation and foster a hierarchical, top-down culture that discourages the development of agency and self-directedness in both staff and students.
Instead of defaulting to providing answers, Motivational Interviewing (MI) encourages school leaders to engage in deeper listening, ask powerful, open-ended questions, and guide teachers toward identifying their own solutions. By doing so, MI fosters a culture where staff feel empowered and valued, leading to greater ownership of their professional growth and a more collaborative, self-directed learning environment.
By reducing the fixing reflex, principals can shift from a model of top-down leadership to one where solutions are co-created through reflective conversations, ultimately enhancing trust, engagement, and collective problem-solving within the school community.
Common Critiques:
"This sounds too wishy-washy. I need clear direction and solutions."
MI does not mean avoiding tough decisions or action. It’s about shifting how those decisions are made. Rather than immediately jumping to provide solutions, MI encourages you to engage in meaningful conversations where you empower staff to think critically and contribute their own solutions. This fosters long-term ownership and sustained improvement in teaching practices, which leads to greater efficiency and lasting change over time.
"I don’t have the time to engage in deep conversations for every issue."
This might initially feel more time-intensive, but it will save time in the long run. By investing time upfront to ask the right questions and guide reflection, you help teachers identify their own solutions, which not only increases their autonomy and agency as professionals but also don't require hours of discussion to be effective and can reduce future needs for oversight. Small moments of reflection in regular check-ins can have significant ripple effects across the school.
"With everything on my plate, how can I possibly implement this approach all year long?"
Culture doesn't change overnight; the same is true with implementing MI. Start small by applying MI techniques in key interactions with staff, such as during one-on-one meetings or when discussing professional development goals. Over time, you’ll build confidence and efficiency in using MI, which will gradually integrate into your daily leadership style without overwhelming you. Combined with a few other techniques and strategies, the culture of the school can begin to shift towards the direction you desire, such as the adoption of a self-directed schooling model for staff and students. Think of integrating MI as an ongoing investment in a stronger, more resilient school culture, where the benefits of collaboration, trust, and empowerment will reduce the need for constant crisis management.
PART 2: Using MI to Create a Culture of "Self-Directed Schooling"
For school leaders looking to develop self-directedness and ownership of learning in their students, a self-directed schooling model is designed to foster a school culture where both teachers and students are empowered to take ownership of their respective roles and responsibilities as lifelong learners in a shared learning environment. The culture in this model encourages independence, collaboration, and personal responsibility within the context of supporting the collective well-being of the school. If I were to assign a motto for this model, it would be: A rising tide lifts all boats.
School leaders can build and strengthen this kind of culture with Motivational Interviewing. By focusing on collaboration and empowerment, MI helps leaders move away from traditional top-down approaches to decision-making and instead create an environment where everyone feels their ideas and perspectives are valued within a system of oversight and accountability that supports shared individual ownership for collective success. This means encouraging staff to take ownership of their own growth while still aligning their efforts with the broader school goals, creating an environment where each individual’s success contributes to the overall success of the community. Balancing individual achievement with the well-being of the collective is the ongoing goal of this model.
At its core, MI is about engaging in meaningful conversations, asking the right questions, and guiding others to find their own motivation for changing what isn't working, instead of expecting leadership to suggest quick solutions which, unfortunately, can result in staff not communicating with leadership about what isn't working in the first place. The use of MI can help leaders shape a school culture where teachers feel heard, respected, and empowered, which in turn builds a strong foundation for creating a self-directed learning environment.
Culture and Values of a Self-Directed Schooling Model
Element of Culture: Decision-Making Structure ("Government")
In a Self-Directed Schooling model, decision-making is decentralized, emphasizing individual and group participation. This contrasts with traditional models where authority and decision-making often rest solely with the principal or administration. By incorporating MI, principals can encourage a participatory approach to leadership, where teachers are actively engaged in shaping policies and strategies that affect their practice. This fosters a collaborative environment where staff are encouraged to model this practice with their students so everyone contributes to the direction of the school, aligning with the self-directed nature of both teaching and learning.
Imagine A principal invites teachers to make smaller decisions related to their relationships with the school, such as the structure of professional development, or asking for feedback on school policies that can be made quickly to build trust that their voices are heard. A question like “How do you feel about the current approach to student engagement, and what small changes would you suggest?” helps teachers feel involved and valued, but doesn’t overwhelm them with large-scale changes all at once. This participatory leadership helps build confidence in sharing ideas and sets the stage for more self-directed involvement over time.
Core Values: Respect as a Core Value
In the Self-Directed Schooling model, respect is grounded in the recognition of self-worth. It goes beyond external authority and is instead rooted in how individuals view themselves and each other. MI supports this core value by encouraging open, non-judgmental dialogue, which values each teacher's autonomy and experiences. When principals use MI to engage teachers in reflective conversations, it reinforces a school culture where self-respect and respect for others' perspectives are integral to success and collaboration.
Imagine A principal, rather than immediately offering advice in a staff meeting, might ask the staff, “What part of your current practices are you most proud of?" This kind of questioning shows respect for the teacher’s expertise and encourages them to explore their strengths as individuals but also collectively as a school. Teachers already know that things aren't necessarily "perfect" and conversations about which aspects to improve can (and must) be had, but it is important for teachers to feel empowered in their roles (beyond a brief "glow and grow" icebreaker at a staff meeting) to clarify the value of self-respect and respect for others’ contributions so that Respect as a Core Value can be ingrained as fundamental to the school's culture.
Socioemotional Competency: Identifying and Managing Emotions
The ability to identify and manage emotions is a critical socioemotional competency in the Self-Directed Schooling model. MI emphasizes self-reflection and self-regulation, encouraging both teachers and students to explore their emotional responses to challenges to help determine the best approach to overcoming those challenges. By practicing MI, school leaders can guide teachers in reflecting on their emotional states, which fosters emotional intelligence and mindfulness in decision-making and classroom management that can be further modeled in the everyday interactions with their students. This self-awareness is key to creating a school environment that nurtures self-directed learning.
Imagine A principal says to a teacher: “It seems like you were frustrated with that lesson. How did you feel, and how did you respond to that frustration in the moment?" This is particularly powerful when the teacher's response to an emotion like frustration was handled reasonably well with only minor room for growth to illustrate that this practice is not intended as a "pleasant" form of correction. The aim is not to push for immediate emotional regulation, but to create an environment where teachers feel safe to reflect on their emotions and approach growth at their own pace. This gradual exploration of self-regulation allows both teachers and students to develop emotional intelligence and self-awareness over time.
Ranges of Behavior: Courage as a Virtue
In the Self-Directed Schooling model, courage plays a pivotal role in creating a culture of innovation and growth. Teachers are encouraged to take risks, try new teaching strategies, and step out of their comfort zones. MI helps build this courage by creating a supportive environment where teachers can reflect on their fears and obstacles, while also empowering them to overcome those challenges. The courage to embrace uncertainty and learn from mistakes is essential for fostering an adaptive, self-directed learning environment.
Imagine A principal says to a teacher at their school, “What’s one small change you feel comfortable trying in your classroom to improve student participation?” Instead of demanding large changes or risks, this approach empowers teachers to make gradual adjustments, building confidence and courage to try new things over time, appropriate to their readiness or risk-aversion. The focus is on continuous improvement, where teachers feel supported in experimenting within a safe environment.
Personality: Alignment with Schooling Models
The Self-Directed Schooling model recognizes that different personality traits can influence how teachers and students engage with this schooling model. MI takes this into account by fostering a flexible and adaptable approach to leadership and teaching. For example, principals can use MI to assess how teachers' personal traits, such as their openness to new experiences or degree of conscientiousness, influence their approach to instruction. By recognizing unique personality profiles of individual staff and students, leaders can tailor their support and create an environment where teachers feel empowered to use their strengths while choosing to develop areas for growth. This personalized approach helps to create a more inclusive and self-directed school culture.
Imagine A principal asks a teacher at their school, “What teaching methods do you feel most comfortable with..." followed by, "How could we build on those strengths to develop self-directedness in your students more effectively?” By focusing on individual strengths, this approach helps teachers to reflect on what it means to be self-directed in a way that they feel valued and supported, while encouraging them to gradually embrace new methods in a way that suits their personality. This personalized approach helps create a school culture where teachers feel both empowered and comfortable with self-directed learning over time.
PART 3: Bringing It All Together (The Self-Directed Process)
This diagram illustrates how Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be seamlessly integrated into a self-directed process for developing a self-directed schooling model. At the heart of both MI and the self-directed schooling model is a cyclical, interconnected process with 5 key aspects.
The key aspects include:
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
Setting goals
Using Resources
Practice & Reflection
Create a Proficient Product
1. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
Before diving into goal-setting or planning, identifying strengths and weaknesses is crucial. In a self-directed school culture, MI helps principals and teachers reflect not only on their current practices but also on how well resources were utilized and what strategies were engaged in their practice. This reflection allows teachers to better understand how their strengths were leveraged in the classroom and what areas still need development. By critically assessing how they applied resources and strategies, teachers can gain a fuller appreciation of their strengths and how to build on them to create a proficient product, whether it's improved student engagement, better classroom management, or other professional goals. Similarly, areas for growth are highlighted through this reflection, ensuring that the next steps in goal-setting are rooted in a clear understanding of what needs to be strengthened. This reflection not only ensures that future goals align with both individual needs and school-wide objectives but also provides a clear pathway for moving through the other aspects of the framework, such as setting goals, utilizing resources, and engaging in purposeful practice.
Practical Application: As the principal builds rapport and establishes a space where teachers feel comfortable reflecting on their practice, the principal may help the teacher clarify what areas they want to work on. This could involve asking: “What strengths do you bring to your teaching, and where do you see opportunities for growth?” Once areas of Focus are identified and clarified, the principal can guide the teacher to explore their own motivations for improving, tapping into their intrinsic reasons for change. This process fosters self-awareness and empowers the teacher to take ownership of their growth, laying the foundation for self-directed learning for both the teacher and their impact on students.
2. Set Goals
Once strengths and weaknesses are identified, goal-setting becomes the next step in the cycle. While it is common to implement S.M.A.R.T. goals, they can sometimes be limiting. This process is effective in communicating a simple process for setting clear goals, but it tends to focus too heavily on the end goal and the immediate measurable outcome, potentially overlooking the importance and value of the change process itself. This can inadvertently lead to a narrow view of success, where teachers may feel pressure to meet the target without fully internalizing the intentional processes involved in reaching a particular goal. This can lead to false starts, frustration, and resistance to future change.
MI improves the SMART Goal approach by shifting the focus from simply achieving the goal to embracing the progress made through reflective intention. MI’s collaborative goal-setting process allows for clear, actionable goals while also encouraging the necessary reflection on the steps taken toward those goals. By engaging in reflective conversations, principals help teachers celebrate progress, adjust strategies, and recognize their own growth. This process ensures that metacognitive awareness of tracking and reflecting on their change process from start to finish becomes as valuable as achieving their goals.
Practical Application: Principals can use MI techniques to guide teachers in setting their own professional goals. Goal-setting typically occurs in the Planning step of MI, which follows the Engage, Focus, and Evoke steps. After building rapport, understanding the teacher’s motivations, and exploring their strengths and challenges, the principal can guide the teacher through the goal-setting process. For example: “What specific areas would you like to focus on this semester? How can we measure your progress in a way that feels meaningful to you?” This approach encourages teachers to take ownership of their goals while ensuring they align with the broader vision for school improvement. By asking these questions, the principal helps the teacher take ownership of their goals while encouraging reflection on what is most important to them. This process also ensures that the goals align with the teacher's intrinsic motivations and the broader school objectives, allowing for a sense of shared responsibility and purpose.
3. Resources
Once goals are set, the next step is to gather resources. Just as the diagram emphasizes the use of books, websites, and peer support, MI encourages principals to create an environment where teachers feel empowered to use a variety of resources. This could include mentorship, access to professional development opportunities, or collaboration with knowledgeable peers. By offering complex reflections that allow teachers to understand their challenges better and lead the conversation toward creative solutions, principals can offer relevant tools and support that further develop the kind of self-directed growth and professional empowerment we wish to see developed in those teachers' students.
Practical Application: After engaging the teacher in a conversation about their goals and exploring the challenges they are facing (using the Engage, Focus, and Evoke steps of MI), this principal-teacher relationship can confidently approach the Planning step with a question such as: “What type of resources do you think would support you in achieving these goals, and how can I help you access them?” This question would come after prior conversations when the principal would built rapport, explore the teacher's motivations, and have a better idea of common challenges in their classroom. Avoiding the Fixing Reflex is still relevant and an emphasis on the collaborative nature of the MI process signals that the principal is there to help the teacher identify solutions and support their access to resources and not to place the entire responsibility for problem-solving on either the principal or the teacher. By entering this step, the principal can actively guide the teacher toward realistic, actionable steps while ensuring that the teacher feels supported and empowered to succeed.
4. Practice & Reflection
After setting goals and utilizing resources (which are revisited and recycled throughout this process), practice and reflection become essential components of the change process. In a self-directed learning environment, MI emphasizes reflective practice, where teachers regularly evaluate their progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust their approaches as needed. This ongoing cycle of reflection ensures that teachers are constantly learning and evolving, which contributes to the overall growth of the school community, and models for students effective metacognitive awareness and management that is personalized and can be applied in similar (developmentally-appropriate) ways to develop this capacity in students.
Practical Application: This is a continuous, reflective part of the process intended to empower teachers to take ownership of their self-directedness and develop professionally. Principals may re-engage with open reflections like, “How do you feel about your progress so far?” setting the tone for honest and open self-assessment. This allows complex reflections to identify where the focus may need to shift for the teacher, such as classroom management or student engagement, with guiding questions like, “What’s working well in your classroom, and where do you think changes could have the most impact?” In responding to the teacher, evoking change talk may elicit the teacher’s motivations and ideas for improvement, encouraging them to explore possible solutions. The principal might ask, “What strategies have you been using and how might I be of help in addressing your new challenges?” This encourages ownership of the process, allowing teachers to identify actionable steps based on their own insights with explicit offers for support. This is not a one-time process, however, as MI’s cyclical nature means that, as practice continues, all four MI steps are revisited throughout each Key Aspect of the self-directed process.
5. Create a Proficient Product
In the context of a self-directed learning environment, a product—whether it’s a new teaching strategy, student academic achievement, or overall school performance—may be necessary for accountability and oversight. However, it’s important that the creation of this product is celebrated as part of the self-directed process rather than as an outcome driven by external pressures like rewards or punishments. Extrinsic motivation through such means can undermine the development of intrinsic motivation, which is crucial for sustaining self-directedness. MI helps ensure that the final product is not only a reflection of the teacher’s individual contributions but also aligns with collective success, reinforcing the idea that both the teacher’s personal growth and the broader school goals are intertwined.
In MI, the focus is on collaborative problem-solving throughout the process, rather than simply producing a product for evaluation. Reflection on progress toward a product—whether it’s improved student outcomes, more effective teaching strategies, or enhanced collaboration—is an integral part of this journey. MI ensures that the product serves as a natural culmination of the ongoing cycle of reflection, goal-setting, and practice, rather than the sole focus of the effort.
Practical Application: Principals can guide teachers to reflect not only on the outcomes of their efforts but also to explore how the teacher's progress is connected to their self-efficacy (i.e. their belief in their ability to achieve the goals they’ve set). For example, the principal might ask: “What evidence can we gather to demonstrate progress toward your goals? How will we know when we’ve succeeded, and how do you feel about the progress you’ve made so far?” By addressing Self-Efficacy directly, the principal helps the teacher reflect on their confidence and intentionally reinforces the internal motivation needed for that teacher to continue growing. Rather than simply producing a result to check a box, this approach encourages a higher degree of metacognitive awareness toward personal strengths and how effort shapes outcomes... without the need for lectures or coercive, external motivation practices (i.e. rewards and punishments).
Additionally, by supporting teachers through reflective conversations via MI, principals help cultivate the self-awareness necessary to navigate challenges and adjust strategies when needed. This process not only leads to the successful creation of desired products but also reinforces a person's socioemotional development of Self-Efficacy and Improvement as essential competencies for ongoing lifelong learning and development. This ensures that the focus is on growth and empowerment, rather than merely achieving short-term, external measures of success.
4. How Empowered Teachers Empower Students
For a truly self-directed learning environment to take root, the empowerment of teachers must be intentionally linked to the proactive empowerment of students. A self-directed school culture is not just about teachers taking ownership of their own professional growth but also about creating classroom environments where students are equally empowered to take ownership of their learning. This section explores how school leaders can facilitate this transformation by focusing on the direct link between self-directed staff and students.
1. Role Modeling: Teachers as Models of Self-Directed Learning
One of the most powerful ways teachers can influence student self-direction is through role modeling. When teachers embrace self-directedness by setting professional goals, seeking continuous improvement, and reflecting on their practices, they naturally demonstrate these behaviors to their students. For example, a teacher who sets a personal goal to integrate more project-based learning into their lessons and consistently reflects on their progress can show students that growth is an ongoing, personal journey. This modeling creates an environment where students feel empowered to set their own goals and engage in reflective practices about their learning.
Imagine A teacher who regularly sets goals for their professional development and openly shares their progress with students, asking, “I’ve been working on making my lessons more interactive. What do you think? How can we make our class even more engaging?” not only models self-reflection but also encourages students to reflect on their own learning and set goals for improvement.
2. Fostering Student Independence: Gradual Release of Control
When teachers are empowered to lead their own professional growth, they are better equipped to create classrooms that gradually release control to students. This means transitioning from a traditional teacher-led classroom to one where students are active participants in the learning process. In such environments, teachers provide opportunities for students to make decisions about how they engage with content, demonstrate understanding, and reflect on their progress.
Imagine A teacher who uses project-based learning allows students to choose the projects they want to work on, guiding them through goal-setting and reflection throughout the process. As part of this, the teacher regularly asks, “Talk to me about what you're learning. How are you approaching this idea, and do you know what resources you need to achieve your goal?” By shifting the responsibility to the student, the teacher encourages self-directedness with explicit support in both the learning process and the decision-making process involved.
3. Structuring Self-Directed Learning Opportunities for Students
Empowering teachers to develop self-directedness can be transferred to students through specific instructional strategies and learning opportunities. These include personalized learning pathways, student-led conferences, and reflection journals. Teachers can provide the tools, resources, and scaffolding to help students set their own goals, monitor their progress, and adjust strategies as needed.
Imagine A teacher implements student-led conferences where students present their own learning goals, progress, and next steps. This encourages students to take ownership of their educational journey, with the teacher offering guidance and reflection prompts like, “What progress have you made in your goal? What have you learned from this experience, and what will you do differently next time?” Their self-reflection is then submitted as part of their grade which is combined with the teacher's observations to produce a summative report that can be submitted in a "traditional" grading structure. This practice helps students internalize the habits of self-assessment, goal-setting, and reflective practice, which are central to self-directed learning.
4. Aligning Teacher Empowerment with Student Empowerment
The process of fostering teacher self-direction and student self-direction is cyclical and interconnected. As teachers become more self-directed, they create opportunities for their students to do the same. The key to this alignment is in how school leaders support and sustain this process. School leaders can provide ongoing professional development, opportunities for teachers to engage in collaborative problem-solving, and a school-wide culture of reflection and ownership that permeates both teaching and learning.
Imagine A principal who encourages reflective teaching practices and provides space for teachers to share best practices fosters a culture where collaboration becomes a vehicle for growth. By regularly asking teachers, “What’s working well in your classroom? How can we, as a team, continue to improve our practice?”, the principal models the same collaborative space where students can observe how their teachers are being treated as learners just as their teachers are treating them as learners, equally encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and development.
A Call to Action for School Leaders
As you reflect on how to build a school culture that nurtures self-directed learning, consider integrating Motivational Interviewing (MI) into your leadership practices. By avoiding the fixing reflex and embracing collaboration, you can create a school environment where teachers feel respected, empowered, and motivated to grow, just as your students will thrive in an atmosphere that encourages their self-directed learning.
MI helps shift the focus from top-down directives to shared ownership, empowering both teachers and students to take charge of their own growth journeys. This not only enhances individual development but also cultivates a sense of shared responsibility for the overall success of the school. By integrating MI, you can align leadership practices with a culture of reflection, collaboration, and empowerment, ensuring that both staff and students thrive in a self-directed environment. Use the insights from the Mullen Bioecological Model and the illustration in this article to support your efforts in creating a school culture that is more reflective, collaborative, and ultimately self-directed, one where both teachers and students are motivated to take ownership of their learning and development as truly lifelong learners.
Greg Mullen
April 30, 2025
