Abstract
Teacher autonomy is essential for professional development at work
but is at risk. This article reports on a study of structural school factors
affecting teachers’ autonomous behaviour. A three-wave longitudinal design
was used, as opposed to the cross-sectional studies so often reported in the
literature. Using a sample of 580 primary, secondary, and vocational teachers,
analyses showed that teachers’ autonomous behaviour predicted professional
development at work. Analyses also showed that the structural school factor
empowering teachers contributed to teachers’ autonomous behaviour and
subsequently professional development at work. Trust as an empowering
element could be enhanced by dialogues with teachers about education.
Analyses further demonstrated that the structural school factor decentralisation
of responsibilities to teacher teams also contributed to teachers’ autonomous
behaviour and subsequently professional development at work. These findings
underscore school leaders’ key role in shaping a thriving work environment.
but is at risk. This article reports on a study of structural school factors
affecting teachers’ autonomous behaviour. A three-wave longitudinal design
was used, as opposed to the cross-sectional studies so often reported in the
literature. Using a sample of 580 primary, secondary, and vocational teachers,
analyses showed that teachers’ autonomous behaviour predicted professional
development at work. Analyses also showed that the structural school factor
empowering teachers contributed to teachers’ autonomous behaviour and
subsequently professional development at work. Trust as an empowering
element could be enhanced by dialogues with teachers about education.
Analyses further demonstrated that the structural school factor decentralisation
of responsibilities to teacher teams also contributed to teachers’ autonomous
behaviour and subsequently professional development at work. These findings
underscore school leaders’ key role in shaping a thriving work environment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 139-159 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | International Journal of Human Resource Development and Management |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Keywords
- decentralisation
- empowering teachers
- longitudinal study
- primary education
- professional development at work
- secondary education
- structural equation modelling
- structural school factors
- teacher autonomy
- teachers' autonomous behaviour
- vocational education