Of course, when everyone agrees about what should be done, there is no problem making a decision. It is when there is no agreement that we want learners to make decisions for themselves. Asserting that decision may be difficult, especially when a learner has to assert it in an area usually controlled by the teacher.
I have developed a workshop session on saying no; it goes on the schedule every term as “How to say ‘No,’ to the teacher,” and learners are free to attend or not. In the workshop, learners get a chance to express some of their feelings about saying no to someone in authority, and are given explicit instructions and role play in saying no in situations that come up in class. Their assignment is to say no to a teacher at least once in the following week, and much public acclaim comes as learners say no to a request I make. This explicit lesson makes it clear in the public space of the classroom that it is okay to decide not to go along with a suggestion from the teacher; that making your own decisions is expected; and that saying no will be respected. It also gives me time to say publicly that I can deal with people saying no to me. If I need something done, I may ask a learner to do it; if the answer is no, I’ll ask someone else, or make some other plan to get it done, but I don’t take it personally if someone says no to me, and I won’t lay on a guilt trip when they do. Again, this making public my own decision-making process provides an explicit model for learners.