Fostering Autonomy in STEM Education – The Use of Jupyter Notebooks in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper examines how higher education instructors perceive the role of Jupyter notebooks in supporting autonomy within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in higher education in sciences. Drawing on a qualitative research design, interviews were conducted with ten higher education instructors who frequently use Jupyter notebooks in their teaching. The interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that Jupyter notebooks, as a low-threshold and interactive instructional tool, may promote autonomy by addressing students’ three basic psychological needs as defined by SDT. Interview participants also emphasised the practical relevance of the notebooks for preparing students for future professional environments. Furthermore, the results indicate a growing demand for computational competencies across disciplines, driven by evolving technological requirements. At the same time, students demonstrate varying levels of prior knowledge. In response, the implementation of innovative infrastructures, such as a centralised JupyterHub, is identified as a promising strategy for providing equitable access to digital learning tools. Finally, the study considers the emerging influence of large language models (LLMs) and outlines several potential pathways through which they may interact with the principles of SDT.