Teacher autonomy: Power or control?

Abstract

The article explores the issue of teacher autonomy in relation to its potential for freedom or control. It examines the concept of empowerment as applied to education, arguing that, although it is traditionally cast as a means of achieving autonomy, an alternative approach sees empowerment as part of the disciplinary apparatus of late modern governance. In exploring these issues, the article covers ideas such as critical education, the reflective practitioner and personal effectiveness from the view of teacher autonomy as emancipatory; and self-surveillance, disciplinary regimes and pedagogic identity from the perspective of control. The article concludes that the appeal of teacher autonomy to the profession must be tempered by the recognition that it has the ability to both liberate and deceive.

Decision-making in Context: Swedish and Finnish Teachers’ Perceptions of Autonomy

“…This perspective can serve as an alternative interpretation of collegial autonomy; that the regulation of individual teachers' autonomy by their colleagues could also originate from central governance rather than from a strong teacher profession. An analysis rather similar to the one made by Ball et al is Lawson's (2004). Also by referring to Foucault, Lawson illuminates the teacher empowerment concept, which has often been confused with teacher autonomy.…”

Teacher autonomy and responsibility variation and association with student performance in Didaktik and curriculum traditions

“…This was a contradictory finding since on one hand, school leaders reported that teachers overwhelmingly make decisions about assessment policies, while at the same time there is a high frequency of standardized tests. Relying on Lawson's (2004) theorization then, the use of standardized tests serves more as an external control mechanism that diminishes TA. Furthermore, one critical question remains as to why there were no substantive differences between TA and responsibility practices across schools in Didaktik and curriculum countries in PISA 2009, when the theory strongly suggested that would be the case.…”

“…Smith (2001) argues that it is the third definition that dominates the literature on TA, and it is also adopted for the present study. Other scholars have discussed TA as a source of both power and control, by employing the concept of empowerment as a means to achieve TA, but which, at the same time, could potentially serve as a disciplinary tool of governance structures (Lawson, 2004). More recently, Frostenson (2012) suggests three dimensions of TA: (1) a professional dimension which regards autonomy as characteristic of teachers as a professional group, a faculty or staff dimension which emphasizes the autonomy of a school organization, including the principal and the whole teaching staff, and finally an individual dimension, which refers to autonomy that the individual teacher possesses.…”

Whose Empowerment? The Dynamics of Power and Choice in Managing Student Access to Personalised Key Stage 4 Options

“…Mindful of Lawson's (2004) work on teacher autonomy, the role of individual action planning in initial teacher training (Lawson & Harrison, 1999), and the potential for target-setting and selfmonitoring as a strategy for self-surveillance (Lawson et al, 2004), the students were asked to evaluate the materials used to prepare them for the options process. They did not, however, regard the preparation, role play and classroom exercises found in the student progress file and personal development programme units to be particularly controlling.…”