How Perceived Autonomy Affects Teachers Work

Abstract

Education today is made of standardized tests and controlled curriculum, and this is not always beneficial for the students or teachers. Before the standardization teachers had autonomy inside their classroom to make choices on how and what to teach. The impact of how standardization on students has been researched, but it has not been as thoroughly researched for teachers. The lack of autonomy greatly affects teachers work and consequently it affects how children are taught and learn. In order to discover how teachers perceive their autonomy and the affects it has on their work I have interviewed several teachers who work in different subjects and different grades. I have also done historical data analysis to track the change in policies over time and see how it compares to the teachers experiences. It has been found that teacher's perceived lack of autonomy has negatively impacted their ability to teach students who learn differently and has also changed their view of teaching as work. Researching how teachers are affected by the changes in the education system is important because it impacts the quality of teachers attracted to the profession, the ability of teachers to teach, and therefore the children. Begin Time: 28:25 End Time: 52:35