Teacher Autonomy Research Articles

Teacher ethical regulation policies and teacher autonomy in China

ABSTRACT This article explores the interaction between local government’s regulation of teacher ethics and teacher autonomy in X District in China’s Shanghai. A case study was conducted, with documents collected from X District education authority on teacher ethics, semi-structured interviews with three local education bureau officers, eight school leaders, and ten teachers, and a survey of 42 school teachers between January and June 2023. The findings show that the local government tightened its regulation of teacher ethics and restricted both individual and collegial autonomy of teachers. Meanwhile, different from the view that Chinese teachers have little autonomy, teachers and schools responded to local government’s control and developed multi-level autonomy. This article presents a “Yin-Yang” framework for understanding the coexistence, development, and change interaction between government regulation and school teachers’ autonomy in teacher ethics in China and responding to international concerns on tensions in the teaching profession’s ethical regulation and aspirations.

The use of autonomy among physical education teachers in Finland and Kurdistan region of Iraq

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to examine fifth-grade physical education (PE) teachers’ reflections and perceptions about PE teaching in Finland and Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI), using analyses of in-depth interviews with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.MethodsThis was accomplished by exploring eight Finnish and six KRI PE teachers’ opinions, attitudes, experiences, and reflections regarding their work as PE teachers, using semi-structured in-depth interviews about PE, as well as their reflections related to an indoor and an outdoor video from ordinary PE teaching in the other country. The initial analyses of the two groups of teachers using the qualitative analysis program NVivo revealed interesting findings related to student autonomy, and these differences were examined closely.ResultsWhile the analyses showed that all the Finnish PE teachers highlighted the importance of providing student autonomy within the open-ended questions related to PE, PE teachers in KRI seldom discussed autonomy during the open-ended questions. Instead, they seemed to organize their teaching in a way that decreased autonomy. The Finnish PE teachers indicated that the use of autonomy was central in the curriculum, and that they used autonomy to increase the students’ motivation and to make PE more meaningful for the students. With such a strategy, the use of autonomy would also activate and include more students, even if Finnish PE teachers reported certain challenges with students’ autonomy. The PE teachers from KRI, however, related PE to be mainly focused on performing sport activities and reflected a strategy of “just do as I do” - a strategy that created little room for autonomy, even if the findings pointed to some traces of autonomy among the PE teachers in KRI.DiscussionConsidering the findings and the theoretical concept of self-determination theory that highlight students’ autonomy as essential for students’ motivation, integration, wellness, and well-being in PE, our findings suggest that new perspectives and practices are needed among teachers in KRI to ensure autonomy in PE teaching. In this vein, increased exchange of experiences and collaboration between educators from Finland and KRI could be beneficial.

Experienced autonomy in the curriculum and Didaktik traditions

ABSTRACT This study investigates Finnish and Californian (US) elementary and secondary school teachers. The main objective of the study is to explore the experienced autonomy in different educational policy regimes. The ideologies and traditions that these two countries represent can be called Didaktik tradition and curriculum tradition. The research question is: How do the teachers’ perceptions of curriculum traditions in the two country contexts differ concerning experienced autonomy, and what might the theoretical and methodological implications of such comparison be? A total of 17 Finnish and 15 US teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The results show that both groups of teachers experienced a lot of autonomy despite of the fact that the US teachers operate in a more restricted accountability policy than the Finnish teachers. This raises some methodological and theoretical implications and limitations of self-reporting comparative studies on teacher autonomy.

University autonomy is a predictor of English medium instruction in European higher education

AbstractDespite extensive research into English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in higher education, few if any studies have explored the role of higher education autonomy in driving EMI. This paper tests the novel hypothesis that university autonomy—spearheaded across European higher education through neoliberally predicated ‘steering at a distance’ reforms—predicts EMI. The data are multilevel with higher education institutions (HEIs) nested inside education systems. The University Autonomy Scorecards (Pruvot & Estermann, 2017) operationalise university autonomy at the education-system level (n = 26) and measure four dimensions of autonomy: academic, financial, staffing, and organisational. We include ‘overall autonomy’ as the average. The European Tertiary Education Register provides HEI-level data (n = 1815), which we combine with a count of English-taught degree programmes (ETPs) to measure EMI, provided by Study Portals, the largest online portal of degree programmes. We conduct multilevel regression to analyse the relationships between autonomy and EMI. The results showed that overall autonomy predicts EMI in public universities (p = 0.002). Increasing overall autonomy by one point above the mean increases the likelihood of offering EMI by 9.5%. Academic, staffing, and organisational autonomy predict EMI in public universities, whereas financial autonomy does not. The first to quantify a relationship between university autonomy and EMI, this study offers new insights into how EMI comes about. By revealing a previously obscured interconnectedness between language shift and higher education governance, the study demonstrates the value added of an interdisciplinary approach and proposes a new line of inquiry for future research.

Academics’ Experiences during Horrible Times: Online Teaching, Learning, and COVID-19

E-Learning has become the new normal in Higher Educational Institutions across South Africa. Hence, intergration of the new learning pedagogies has initiated a shift of the norms on professional development. This paper seeks to unpack the strategies used by lecturers in the face of adversities experienced during the E-learning space pre & post Covid-19. There are strategies advised by teacher autonomy which need to be explored. It might have been better if teacher autonomy was merely being against pressures exerted on the individual teachers. But, it is a means for teachers to advance their personal and professional capability to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions and situations in learning spaces. This paper seeks to unravel an unacquainted new path on the drive of lecturers in their professional development that has not been evident in their training. In socio-politically transforming societies such as South Africa, the absence of adequate structures to implement a range of changing policies, may leave lecturers in despair when trying to access development opportunities. This paper adopts analytic theory and semi-structured interviews to give light to the constructivist views of lecturers who have developed methods during the times of adversity. Purposive sampling of 6 lecturers and 10 students will help the generation of data for this study because even though lectures had to adjust to new methods but students were in the receiving end of all the pressure. This study argues for implementation of best practices for the successful professional development of academics in line with E-learning. The University of Limpopo will be the centre of data generation with ethical considerations requested as well as literature visited. Collected data will be thematically analysed in order to sieve and arrange the necessary information for this study. The newly shared practices will form part of the resolutions to the professional development of academic staff.

Teachers' Attitudes Towards Learners' Autonomy

In order to be successful in higher education, a balanced cooperation between teachers and students is crucial; Involving students in evaluating and making decisions about their learning is important to foster their autonomy. The present study seeks to examine learner autonomy from teachers´ perspectives with the aim of helping the latter reflect on their practices and find out ways to help enhance students´ academic performance and accompany them on their journey towards autonomy. It builds on previous research into learner autonomy from students’ perspectives, which revealed a great awareness of the importance of learner autonomy among Moroccan university students. The article yielded evidence of very promising ground upon which can be built a culture of autonomy in Moroccan higher education. A mixed method approach was adopted to gather data. First, a questionnaire was conducted among 74 university teachers so as to discover 1) how–and if–teachers fostered autonomous learning behaviour in classes; and 2) what their attitudes toward learner autonomy were. Later, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 teachers to consider ways to give learners control over their own learning. The findings have confirmed that teachers play important roles in developing learner autonomy. They need to be facilitators of the learning process so that they can support their students emotionally and prepare them to become responsible for their own learning..Therefore, teachers have to reconsider the multiple roles they might play in order to foster their learners´autonomy.

Advancing autonomy in Tunisian higher education: Exploring the role of technology in empowering learners

This study explores technology-based learner autonomy in Tunisian higher education, focusing on the Raqqada English department. It examines student engagement with technology-driven learning and the challenges faced by educators, highlighting a gap between students' theoretical readiness for self-directed learning and their actual use of digital tools. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 102 English students via questionnaires, and qualitative data from interviews with 25 educators. Findings reveal that while 80% of students engage in autonomous learning outside the classroom, in-class technology usage is significantly lower, indicating a disconnect with existing infrastructure. Furthermore, 76% of students acknowledge technology's role in supporting diverse learning styles, and 67% link smart classrooms to increased motivation. However, challenges such as limited digital literacy, inadequate training, and poor infrastructure hinder effective technology integration. Educators expressed concerns about rigid teaching methods and insufficient autonomy at earlier educational levels, suggesting that autonomy is better developed at the master's level. The study concludes that enhancing infrastructure, training, and digital resource availability is crucial for advancing learner autonomy. Recommendations include fostering intercultural collaboration through programs like Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and implementing varied assessment methods to evaluate learner autonomy better. Additionally, professional development programs for educators and students are necessary to promote autonomy and active learning strategies.

Review: Raza Schools: The Fight for Latino Educational Autonomy in a West Texas Borderlands Town, by Jesús Jesse Esparza

Review: <i>Raza Schools: The Fight for Latino Educational Autonomy in a West Texas Borderlands Town</i>, by Jesús Jesse Esparza

Methods Applied in Developing Students' English Speaking Confidence at MA Al Ma'arif NU Lombok

This study scrutinized teachers' strategies for developing students' speaking confidence. The qualitative approach was adopted using observation and interviews as data collection methods. Four English teachers with a myriad of experiences in coping with students' problems with speaking confidence were invited as samples. The analysis of data procedures involved Kawulich's (2004) work, including Narrative, Coding, Interpretation, Confirmation, and Presentation. The findings revealed that the students had low confidence in speaking due to being Afraid of Speaking, Feeling Inferior, and Being Shy. Teachers developed strategies to cope with problems, including guiding the students when speaking, conducting peer tutoring, habituating students to speak, and giving games to motivate them to learn. Based on the data, some improvements were achieved after the strategies: teachers as guides followed by speaking as habits improved students' speaking confidence; Peer Tutors and Teachers as Guides boost students' understanding; Peer Tutors and Games promote more enthusiasm for students. This study recommends that the principals facilitate teachers' autonomy in teaching, such as conducting programs compatible with students' learning needs by providing collaborative learning opportunities and involving fun learning activities to get students' enthusiasm, which will generate their motivation and confidence

THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON TEACHING CAREERS: PEDAGOGICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

This article reviews the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on teaching careers, with a focus on the pedagogical, administrative, and ethical dimensions, based on an analysis of recent studies (2022-2024). In the pedagogical dimension, AI has the potential to personalize teaching through adaptive systems and virtual tutors, adjusting content to students needs. However, this personalization could compromise teachers autonomy, as they may become dependent on algorithms for decisions regarding lesson pacing and content. In the administrative dimension, AI automates tasks such as grading and lesson planning, allowing for more teaching-focused time. However, this requires new training and technological adaptations, which may increase teachers workloads. In the ethical dimension, challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and digital exclusion could exacerbate educational inequalities. The article provides recommendations for leveraging AI as a teaching aid while preserving teacher autonomy and ensuring ethical and inclusive implementation. Methodological limitations, such as the narrow temporal scope and the lack of long-term impact studies, are acknowledged. The article also calls for future research on AI integration in various educational contexts and the development of public policies to ensure equitable technology adoption in schools and universities.

Prescribed pedagogy: An autoethnographic analysis of coursebook constraints, teacher identity, and power dynamics in Iran through Foucault’s lens

This study uses Critical Autoethnographic Narrative (CAN) to explore the influence of standardized coursebooks on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in Iran. Drawing on over ten years of experience as an English teacher and supervisor, the research highlights how these coursebooks act as tools of control, constraining teacher autonomy and creativity. While existing literature focuses on technical aspects of coursebooks, this study fills a gap by examining their impact on pedagogical flexibility and teacher identity. Through a reflexive analysis guided by Foucault’s theories of power and discipline, key themes such as "pedagogical constraints," "reduced autonomy," and "professional satisfaction" are identified. The findings reveal significant limitations imposed by standardized materials, suggesting a need for more flexible and culturally responsive teaching approaches. This study contributes to understanding the socio-political dimensions of EFL education in Iran and offers insights for enhancing teacher autonomy and curriculum development.

Revision and validation of the “Motivational Climate in Physical Education Scale” (MCPES) in Chinese educational context

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the “Motivational Climate in Physical Education Scale” (MCPES) among middle school students. Data were collected from 1,008 students, with 473 completing the MCPES, the Physical Needs Support in Physical Education Scale (PNS-PE), and the Youth Sports Friendship Quality Scale (YSFQS). Additionally, 437 students completed only the MCPES, and 200 valid retest questionnaires were gathered three weeks later. Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors: perceived mastery climate, perceived performance climate, perceived autonomy support, and perceived relatedness support with a total of 16 items. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure (χ2/df = 3.38, GFI = 0.92, NFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.05). The scale exhibited strict measurement invariance across genders and strong invariance across grade levels. It was positively correlated with teacher autonomy support (r = 0.34–0.53) and with each dimension and total score of sports friendship (r = 0.21–0.61). Cronbach’s α coefficients for the MCPES and its dimensions were 0.75, 0.82, 0.79, 0.80, and 0.88, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the three-week retest were 0.64, 0.63, 0.72, and 0.76. In conclusion, the Chinese version of the MCPES demonstrates robust reliability and validity for use with middle school students.

Response to: ‘We must not overlook readiness, autonomy and cultural sensitivity in patient-centred bedside teaching’

Response to: ‘We must not overlook readiness, autonomy and cultural sensitivity in patient-centred bedside teaching’

Internal structure validation of a teacher autonomy scale through confirmatory factor analysis

Purpose: Teacher autonomy is defined as the freedom of teachers to organize the learning and teaching process at school. The teaching autonomy scale measures teacher autonomy (Pearson &amp; Hall, 1993). This study was conducted to identify whether the measuring instrument of teacher autonomy meets the validity and reliability requirements of a measuring instrument. Method: The number of respondents in this study was obtained using a proportional sampling technique involving 170 respondents. The teacher autonomy measuring instrument produced from this study consists of 17 items that measure two dimensions; curriculum autonomy and general teaching autonomy. The quantitative data analysis techniques used were content-based validity tests through CVR and readability tests, validity evidence based on internal structure through CFA, and reliability tests based on homogeneity (internal consistency) through CR and AVE. Result: Shows CVR value with a minimum value of 0.78; loading factor ≥ 0.4, except for item 7 and item 8, as well as fit model fit with RMSEA = 0,077; RMR = 0,030; GFI = 0,847; CFI = 0,858; TLI = 0,797; NFI = 0,805; and p-value &lt; 0.05. reliability test through CR value (0.944) &gt; 0.7 and AVE (0.544) &gt; 0.4. Conclusion: The adaptation of the teacher autonomy measurement tool for female junior high school teachers met good validity and reliability values.

팀티칭 보육교사의 교육과정운영 자율성과 동료교사의 사회적지지가 놀이지원역량에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of team teaching childcare teachers' curriculum operation autonomy and fellow teachers' social support on play support competency. Methods To this end, a survey was conducted among 307 childcare teachers currently operating team-teaching classes at childcare centers in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0, employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results First, team teaching childcare teachers' curriculum management autonomy averaged 4.09 on a 5-point scale, the social support from fellow teachers averaged 4.02, and the ability to support play averaged 4.16. Second, it was found that there are significant correlations between team teaching childcare teachers' curriculum operation autonomy, fellow teachers' social support, overall play support competency, and all its sub-factors. Third, the curriculum operation autonomy of team teaching childcare teachers and fellow teachers' social support explained 49.1% of cognitive competency, 44.1% of affective competency, and 57.7% of practical competency, which are sub-factors of play support competency. Common factors affecting these sub-factors included a child-centered play environment and interactions, collaboration and participation with families and the community, flexible daily routines, and evaluative support, with evaluative support being the most explanatory. Conclusions The meaningful play environment and interactions, along with reflective self-assessment by educators and recognition and praise from peers, indicate the potential for enhancing the play support capabilities of childcare teachers. Therefore, efforts to analyze and support the team-teaching environment of childcare teachers implementing revised educational curricula are necessary to enhance their play support capabilities.

We must not overlook readiness, autonomy, and cultural sensitivity in patient-centred bedside teaching

We must not overlook readiness, autonomy, and cultural sensitivity in patient-centred bedside teaching

Teacher autonomy support predicts intended effort among EFL learners: the mediating role of hope and shame

Teacher autonomy support predicts intended effort among EFL learners: the mediating role of hope and shame

An International Community Paramedic Career Structure

Introduction - Internationally, prehospital workers practice in a wide range of community paramedicine roles. It can be unclear where community paramedics fit within existing paramedicine career structures and their professional capabilities are sometimes ill-defined or misunderstood. This study aimed to clarify some of these questions through the development of a community paramedic career structure and descriptions of their professional capabilities at different levels of practice. Methods - The career structure was developed on the premise that paramedicine is an evolving autonomous health discipline. It was designed through the synthesis of the paramedicine literature, key regulatory frameworks, and advice from two panels of international community paramedicine experts. These purposively recruited panellists comprised practicing community paramedics, students and educators, professional leaders, and subject matter experts. Thematic analysis was undertaken of their open-text on-line questionnaire responses. After feedback from the first panel a paramedic system modernization continuum was used to fashion community paramedic career structures to meet the needs of paramedic systems at different stages of development. These structures were tested with members of the second panel. Findings - A five-step career structure was designed and conceptually separated into two distinct but related pathways to facilitate international comparability across paramedic systems in terms of professional autonomy and levels of education. Structural and cultural characteristics are represented through professional capability statements and indicative education levels that are incorporated into a paramedic system continuum ranging from directive to professionally autonomous paramedic systems. Discussion - Although this study was conducted through the lens of community paramedicine, it might further international discussion of how attractive career structures could improve paramedic retention more broadly. Successful implementation of this career structure requires the support of key stakeholders in the face of strong structural and cultural barriers that continue to challenge innovations designed to respond to changing opportunities and needs in paramedicine.

Divided by policy, united by resilience: Using transformative pedagogy to impact prospective teachers in all contexts

As American teacher educators and teachers are being roiled by restrictive legislation around critical race theory and divisive concepts in some states, our investigation explored the impact of critical communities of practice (CoP) on redesigning and teaching introduction to education courses with a transformative lens. This manuscript details the collaboration of four equity-minded teacher educators, each representing unique institutional and political contexts. While two authors taught in states which promote culturally sustaining pedagogies, the other two authors taught in states that had passed laws restricting the professional autonomy of educators and honest discussions of race and racism. Participation in this critical CoP as a support group enabled us to better understand and navigate our dichotomous policy contexts and renewed our commitment to teaching prospective teachers to be politically conscious and empowered to teach in anti-racist ways. Our CoP was instrumental in helping us recognize that transformative pedagogies and collaboration are effective tools that can provide much needed support to teacher educators across policy contexts, while we simultaneously strive to prepare teacher candidates who will teach in culturally sustaining ways.

Las competencias digitales y la autonomía del estudiantado de educación superior. Validación y diagnóstico

Aim. This study aims to analyze the levels of digital competencies (DC) and autonomy among higher education students and to characterize the possible correlation between these variables. Method. A non-probabilistic convenience sample of 294 Mexican undergraduate Social Sciences and Humanities students was used. The research was quantitative-correlational, descriptive-cross-sectional, and non-experimental. Self-administered online questionnaires were used to measure the DC and autonomy variables: an adaptation to Mexican Spanish of the instrument “Basic Digital Competencies 2.0 of University Students” (COBADI®) (Zapata-Ross, 2013) and the “Autonomy” by Bei et al. (2019), respectively. Results. Diverse levels of DC and autonomy were found among students from the different universities. Higher levels of DC and autonomy were associated with being female, using ICT for academic activities, having computer equipment and the Internet, and using the computer for more hours. Non-parametric tests confirmed direct and moderate associations between the variables, particularly when considering some of their dimensions. Conclusions. Adequate levels of DC are associated with higher student autonomy in ICT-mediated education.