The current coalition government in England has expressed its commitment to establishing an autonomous teaching profession. This study argues that such autonomy cannot exist in a system that is ideologically driven by market forces and neo-liberal policy. The best situation that most teachers can hope to experience – barring a seismic shift in material conditions – is an earned and scrutinised autonomy, which is an oxymoronic concept. It is argued that the tight control exercised by the state over what happens in schools through its promotion of market forces, reinforces the ideological nature of schooling in England. The theoretical and ontological basis of the study resides in an orthodox Marxist perspective and analyses the way in which neo-liberalism has formed the basis for the material conditions under which teachers currently work. It develops this idea to demonstrate how this dominant ideology pervades current discourse about pedagogy and curriculum, reducing such discourse to a narrower consideration of ‘standards’. It considers how this diminution of what the curriculum has become has, in its turn, had an impact on teachers’ view of their professional autonomy. Data are gathered from two rounds of interviews with 22 serving teachers complemented by some written responses from them. Six others with a professional interest in education policy-making, four of whom are headteachers, are also interviewed. The conclusion is drawn that teachers’ autonomy remains restricted, with any independence of action largely contingent upon the production of outcomes measured against limited, pre-determined and ideologically driven outcomes. The study identifies a disconnection between the aspirations of teachers with regard to their professional autonomy and those of some, but not all, headteachers. A further disconnection between the aspirations of teachers and the policies of central government is also identified. Significantly, teachers may enjoy more professional autonomy in those schools which currently, and possibly temporarily, enjoy market popularity. In terms of a contribution to the debate about teacher autonomy, the study demonstrates that, notwithstanding the effects of the current policy ensemble, teachers maintain a sense of what education could offer young people that goes beyond the existing, reductive models that frame their working lives.

As exigências atuais em relação ao professor se estabelecem em torno de sua capacidade e sensibilidade de construir, planejar e gerir um currículo capaz de formar um cidadão em condições de, além de tomar atitudes socialmente responsáveis, também consiga produzir mudanças em busca de soluções para problemas que enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Espera-se, portanto, que o professor desenvolva, planeje e elabore projetos educacionais. No entanto, as pesquisas mostram que a maioria dos professores nem sempre está em condições de implementar, executar e gerir tais projetos e, de forma geral, reproduz o ensino que teve nas experiências que vivenciou enquanto aluno. Em nossa pesquisa, buscaremos investigar a trajetória percorrida por dois professores de Física, participantes de um grupo de professores que buscaram pôr em prática um projeto de caráter interdisciplinar, visando compreender como o resgate da dimensão intelectual docente pode ou não contribuir para o desenvolvimento da autonomia profissional do professor de Ciências. Nossa pesquisa parte da hipótese de que muitas das dificuldades enfrentadas pelos professores relacionam-se com a identidade docente de cada professor, bem como suas concepções acerca do exercício de sua autonomia profissional. Assim sendo, escolhemos adotar a modalidade de pesquisa qualitativa denominada estudo de caso, por estarmos mais interessados na identificação de aspectos próprios da realidade docente e do âmbito escolar que interferem decisivamente na maneira como o ensino é praticado, para, assim, analisar como os aspectos intrapessoais, interpessoais e institucionais dos professores interferiram na execução do projeto; caracterizar a autonomia dos docentes de física e analisar se a mesma se desenvolveu ao longo da trajetória do resgate intelectual do ofício de professor. Portanto, na metodologia de coleta de dados, a pesquisa se constituirá de três fases: o planejamento, a tomada de decisão e a análise que os professores fazem das medidas pedagógicas adotadas. Para análise, utilizaremos os referenciais que estudam a autonomia docente relacionando-a com a identidade profissional do professor, fixando nossas atenções, principalmente, nos processos reflexivos a partir do estabelecimento do quádruplo diálogo e do desenvolvimento da alteridade. / The current demands on the teacher are established around their ability and sensitivity to build, plan and manage a curriculum capable of forming a citizen in a position, in addition to taking socially responsible attitudes, can also produce changes in search of solutions to problems they face in their daily lives. It is expected, therefore, that the teacher develop, plan and develop educational projects. However, research shows that most teachers are not always able to deploy, run and manage such projects and, generally, reproduce education who had the experiences they experienced as students. In our research, we will seek to investigate the career trajectory by two professors of physics, members of a group of teachers who, in a work of action research, sought to implement an interdisciplinary project in order to understand how the rescue of teaching intellectual dimension can or not contribute to the development of professional autonomy of science teacher. Our research starts from the hypothesis that many of the difficulties faced by teachers are related to the teaching identity of each teacher and their conceptions of the exercise of their professional autonomy. Therefore, we chose to adopt the method of qualitative research called case study, because we are more interested in identifying specific aspects of the teaching reality and the school environment that interfere decisively in the way teaching is practiced, to thus analyze how aspects intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional interfered of teachers in project implementation; characterize the autonomy of physics teachers and consider whether it developed along the path of intellectual rescue Teacher craft. Therefore, data collection methodology, the research will consist of three phases: planning, decision making and analysis that teachers do pedagogical measures adopted. For analysis, we will use the benchmarks studying teaching autonomy relating it to the professional identity of the teacher, fixing our attention mainly on the reflective processes from establishment of the quad dialogue and the development of otherness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ level of autonomy in a Response-to-Intervention (RTI) model school system and with delivering a Tier 2 reading intervention, as well as, to understand teachers’ perception of student response to the adapted reading materials. Qualitative data collection involved individual teacher interview, observations, post-intervention survey, and a focus group. Teachers selected reading materials that focused on sight word learning to adapt to fit student need and then delivered the intervention for six weeks. Quantitative data were the students’ progress monitoring scores of sight words learned and overall oral reading fluency rate. Results showed that each teacher adapted the materials differently, and that intervention practicality and elements of the current educational structure affect teacher autonomy. While specific elements can play into intervention practicality, it is truly difficult to analyze an intervention separate from the system in which it is being delivered. Teachers defined intervention practicality as ease of delivery, while additionally defining elements of district operations and governing forces of the system, as broader themes that placed control over their instructional practice, thus restricting autonomy. Implications for practice and future research encompass ways to empower teachers to build autonomy and ways to create teacher involvement during system-level change.

This thesis aims to investigate and compare Swedish and Finnish teachers´ perceived autonomy through a quantitative analysis of the empirical data from a survey conducted within the research project Teacher autonomy in Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Germany (Wermke & Salokangas, 2018). Within the project, the concept teacher autonomy is viewed as multidimensional and highly dependent upon national context, why an analytical device has been constructed in order to investigate teachers´ perceived autonomy comparatively. Based on conceptual research, the device comprises four domains of teachers´ work where autonomy can be exercised (educational, social, developmental and administrational), and three different levels of autonomy (classroom, school, profession). In this thesis, the analytical device is used to compare the perceived autonomy of the Swedish and Finnish teachers participating in the survey. The theoretical foundation of this thesis is Richard M Ingersoll´s research on power distribution in schools, and the construction of the survey is based upon his operationalization of teacher autonomy as teachers´ influence over important decisions that affect their work, and how teachers´ decisions are evaluated and controlled. The results indicates that both Swedish and Finnish teachers are autonomous when it comes to educational issues, but that Finnish teachers are more individually oriented and experience more control from parents, whereas Swedish teachers seem to make more decisions collegially and perceive themselves as more controlled by colleagues and the school management. Moreover, the answers from the respondents suggested that Finnish teachers have more influence over their continuous professional development, while Swedish teachers are responsible for administrative decisions to a higher extent. In order to interpret and discuss the results they are related to different characteristics of the respective national contexts.

As exigências atuais em relação ao professor se estabelecem em torno de sua capacidade e sensibilidade de construir, planejar e gerir um currículo capaz de formar um cidadão em condições de, além de tomar atitudes socialmente responsáveis, também consiga produzir mudanças em busca de soluções para problemas que enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Espera-se, portanto, que o professor desenvolva, planeje e elabore projetos educacionais. No entanto, as pesquisas mostram que a maioria dos professores nem sempre está em condições de implementar, executar e gerir tais projetos e, de forma geral, reproduz o ensino que teve nas experiências que vivenciou enquanto aluno. Em nossa pesquisa, buscaremos investigar a trajetória percorrida por dois professores de Física, participantes de um grupo de professores que buscaram pôr em prática um projeto de caráter interdisciplinar, visando compreender como o resgate da dimensão intelectual docente pode ou não contribuir para o desenvolvimento da autonomia profissional do professor de Ciências. Nossa pesquisa parte da hipótese de que muitas das dificuldades enfrentadas pelos professores relacionam-se com a identidade docente de cada professor, bem como suas concepções acerca do exercício de sua autonomia profissional. Assim sendo, escolhemos adotar a modalidade de pesquisa qualitativa denominada estudo de caso, por estarmos mais interessados na identificação de aspectos próprios da realidade docente e do âmbito escolar que interferem decisivamente na maneira como o ensino é praticado, para, assim, analisar como os aspectos intrapessoais, interpessoais e institucionais dos professores interferiram na execução do projeto; caracterizar a autonomia dos docentes de física e analisar se a mesma se desenvolveu ao longo da trajetória do resgate intelectual do ofício de professor. Portanto, na metodologia de coleta de dados, a pesquisa se constituirá de três fases: o planejamento, a tomada de decisão e a análise que os professores fazem das medidas pedagógicas adotadas. Para análise, utilizaremos os referenciais que estudam a autonomia docente relacionando-a com a identidade profissional do professor, fixando nossas atenções, principalmente, nos processos reflexivos a partir do estabelecimento do quádruplo diálogo e do desenvolvimento da alteridade. / The current demands on the teacher are established around their ability and sensitivity to build, plan and manage a curriculum capable of forming a citizen in a position, in addition to taking socially responsible attitudes, can also produce changes in search of solutions to problems they face in their daily lives. It is expected, therefore, that the teacher develop, plan and develop educational projects. However, research shows that most teachers are not always able to deploy, run and manage such projects and, generally, reproduce education who had the experiences they experienced as students. In our research, we will seek to investigate the career trajectory by two professors of physics, members of a group of teachers who, in a work of action research, sought to implement an interdisciplinary project in order to understand how the rescue of teaching intellectual dimension can or not contribute to the development of professional autonomy of science teacher. Our research starts from the hypothesis that many of the difficulties faced by teachers are related to the teaching identity of each teacher and their conceptions of the exercise of their professional autonomy. Therefore, we chose to adopt the method of qualitative research called case study, because we are more interested in identifying specific aspects of the teaching reality and the school environment that interfere decisively in the way teaching is practiced, to thus analyze how aspects intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional interfered of teachers in project implementation; characterize the autonomy of physics teachers and consider whether it developed along the path of intellectual rescue Teacher craft. Therefore, data collection methodology, the research will consist of three phases: planning, decision making and analysis that teachers do pedagogical measures adopted. For analysis, we will use the benchmarks studying teaching autonomy relating it to the professional identity of the teacher, fixing our attention mainly on the reflective processes from establishment of the quad dialogue and the development of otherness.

The intent of thesis is to explore pre-service teachers' perceptions of using a form of professional development to promote teacher autonomy. Current evidence shows that autonomy is a recurring element desired by American teachers in their profession. However, research advocates for teachers who are initiating and carrying out research in their schools (as a form of professional development) to have the potential to promote autonomy. For American teachers to gain a sense of autonomy in their profession there needs to be a change in the way professional development is directed. One form of professional development that promotes teachers as researchers is Lesson Study. Teachers who participate in lesson study are given the opportunity to research, collaborate, and learn. A sample population of five Pre-service teachers were interviewed to discover their perceptions of using Lesson Study as a means to promote teacher autonomy. The results of this thesis are that lesson study was regarded, by three out of five of the participants, as an effective way to strengthen teacher autonomy. The implications of the results are discussed, and the descriptions and implications of Lesson Study are provided.

No description available.

High school students often face foreign language requirements, either to graduate from their high school or to be accepted at a college or university of their choice (www.ncssfl.org). These requirements serve as external motivators and may decrease a student's intrinsic motivation to learn a language. Indeed, researchers have determined that extrinsic motivation greatly undermines self-motivation (Deci, et al., 2011). Without intrinsic motivation, students struggle to learn in meaningful ways and fail to implement strategies that lead to meaningful foreign language learning and proficiency. Educators must critically analyze their materials, instructional style, lesson plans and assessments and then remove from the curriculum any practice or task that does not foster learner autonomy that ultimately leads to intrinsic motivation. Further, to foster intrinsic motivation, language teaching and learning must focus on the relational aspect of language, as the use of any language is purposed to communicate needs and ideas with others This report explores how learner autonomy and interrelatedness aid the development of intrinsic motivation and provides pedagogical implications for the classroom. / text

The following thesis investigates differences and similarities in the social aspect of teachers’ professional work, as described through teachers’ rights and responsibilities regulated in national school law of the social interaction teacher-student in Finland and Sweden. This thesis is written as a pilot-study in the Swedish Research Council project concerning teacher autonomy in Sweden, England, Finland and Germany. Teacher autonomy is seen as a multidimensional concept in recent research made, and in an analytical matrix developed by Wermke and Salokangas (2016) teacher autonomy can be analyzed on different levels and in different domains of teachers’ professional work. This thesis connects to the social domain in the analytical matrix, which concerns disciplinary policies in the social interaction between teacher and students and thus explores the social part (or dimension) of teacher autonomy. The methods adopted in this thesis are content analysis and comparative method where documents on a national level (i.e. school law) and local level (i.e. rules of conduct) from Finland and Sweden are analyzed. Three terms (i.e. rights, responsibility and offensive actions) guide the analysis together with three analytical questions drawing on Ingersoll’s (2003) research where decisions concerning the social aspect of schooling was proven to be the most important area of teachers’ decision-making power. The results of the investigation indicate that there are both similarities and differences in how the social aspect of teachers’ work is described on national and local level in Finland and Sweden. On national level for example, both Finnish and Swedish teachers can take disciplinary measures to maintain a safe study- and classroom environment, although it is more regulated in the Finnish school law. The investigation also shows that there is a clearer connection between the national level and the local level in Finland, a connection which cannot be perceived in the Swedish case. Lastly, the possibility of reporting teachers divides the two countries apart where in Sweden this is described in the school law, which is not expressed in the Finnish school law.

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was that of determining the relationship between personally perceived autonomy and the extent of professional activity of secondary teachers. The two methods of determining this relationship were questionnaire completion and personal interview. It was assumed that the two methods complemented one another in the determination of findings.