Wermke, Wieland and Olason Rick, Sigrid and Salokangas, Maija
(2019)
Decision-making and control: perceived autonomy of teachers in Germany and Sweden.
Journal of Curriculum Studies, 51 (3).
pp. 306-325.
ISSN 0022-0272
Abstract
Teacher autonomy has become an increasingly popular research topic
over the past decade, reflecting wider national and global education
trends. In this light, this article investigates and compares the perceptions
of German and Swedish teachers concerning their professional
autonomy. We analyse teachers’ perceptions using a grid, and view
teacher autonomy as a multidimensional phenomenon taking place in
different domains (educational, social, developmental and administrative)
and at different levels (classroom, school, profession). The findings
show that the teachers interviewed in Germany and Sweden value
autonomy in various domains and dimensions differently, even if there
also are many similarities. In instruction, that is, the educational autonomy
domain, they perceive themselves to be very autonomous, in
particular in relation to choices of content and method. Autonomous
work in the classroom arena is also seen as the very core of the teaching
profession. Overall, German teachers perceive themselves to be significantly
involved in more areas of their work, and they refer much more to
decisions which are to be made, whereas their Swedish colleagues are
more concerned about control. Finally, we discuss the findings in relation
to different nation-specific forms of extended or restricted autonomy
teacher autonomy.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Teacher autonomy; control;
decision-making; Sweden;
Germany; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Education |
| Item ID: |
13729 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2018.1482960 |
| Depositing User: |
Maija Salokangas
|
| Date Deposited: |
04 Dec 2020 10:41 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Journal of Curriculum Studies |
| Publisher: |
Taylor & Francis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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