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In Chinese kindergartens under a collectivist culture, leadership has a profound and complex impact on both the organization and teacher autonomy. This study explores the link between transformational leadership and teacher autonomy and the roles played by organizational climate and teacher empowerment in this relationship. Kindergartens teachers (n = 1593) were randomly selected in China to complete the transformational leadership scale, teacher autonomy scale, teacher empowerment scale and organizational climate scale, with a cross-sectional design and moderated mediation model using latent variables. The results were as follows: (1) transformational leadership can predict the level of teacher autonomy; (2) organizational climate plays a part of mediating role between transformational leadership and teacher autonomy; (3) as levels of teacher empowerment increase, the positive association between transformational leadership and organizational climate becomes stronger, while the positive association between organizational climate on teacher autonomy weakens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how teachers' autonomy and learning affect their commitment, considering the moderating role of work environment. Questionnaires were administered to full-time teachers in basic schools within Ghana's Ashanti Region, which yielded 1163 accurate responses. The study employs the structural equation modeling technique to generate accurate and reliable findings. The findings reveal that teachers' autonomy and learning positively and significantly contribute to their commitment. Also, work environment positively and substantially moderates the relationship between teachers' autonomy and commitment and between teachers' learning and commitment. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed. • Teachers' autonomy positively predicted teachers' commitment. • Teachers' learning positively impacted teachers' organizational commitment. • Work environment, together with teachers' autonomy, positively influenced teachers' commitment. • Work environment, together with teachers' learning, positively affected teachers' commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have examined the enactment of language policies and the role of teachers in appropriating or contesting these policies. However, less is known about the role of local policymakers in shaping teachers' perceptions through their interpretations of national policy. This paper examines the enactment of the current English language policy in Colombia by exploring how policymakers' interpretations and decisions influenced the perceptions of English language teachers in three public schools. This study examined how public-private partnerships were established to successfully enact this policy and how these partnerships provided both educational value and challenges to teachers' work. • There is a relation between the EFL hours, the EFL programs schools allocate and the partnerships that the schools had. • Partnerships reshaped teachers' professional agency by determining the level of autonomy they perceived. • Partnerships created new technologies of accountability and regulation through an increased culture in performativity. • Partnerships boosted the empowerment of external stakeholders' participation in the institutional decisions of the schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study elaborates the theoretical framework of PTs. The interviews with five teachers were analysed through the concepts of choice, reasoning, and disposition. The results indicated that choices in PTs mainly related to the division of instructional responsibility. PTs containing higher degrees of complex reasoning included a broad range instructional reasons and also weighed both the affordances and constraints of a teaching approach. PTs revealed two major teacher dispositions: instructional intention and instructional attention. Intention-oriented dispositions linked with curricular substance, whereas attention-oriented dispositions addressed personal and contextual factors in teaching. The results help to facilitate balanced instruction during teacher education. Highlights • The conceptual framework of practical theories of teaching (PTs) was revised. • The major choice in PTs concerned the division of instructional responsibility. • Instructional reasons focused on students and substance in the instructional core. • PTs differed in terms of their reasoning complexity and teacher dispositions. • The model of PTs can be used to support teachers' learning of balanced instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper examines the construction of the professional role of teachers as reflected in the teacher autonomy and control discourses in teachers' newspapers during 1991–2010 in three national contexts: Estonia, Finland and Bavaria (Germany). Despite similar global pressures to increase the efficiency of education through output standardization and marketization, the local teaching traditions and policies have shaped different cultures of teacher professionalism. Throughout the national experiments with decentralization and recentralization of education, Estonian and Bavarian teachers have maintained restricted professionalism while Finnish teachers achieved extended professionalism in terms of the desired amount of teacher autonomy. Highlights • Events in the social and political environment influence the autonomy discourse. • The political response to PISA has been a stronger evaluation and control discourse. • The Finnish newspaper advocates an extended concept of teacher professionalism. • Restricted professionalism can be preferable if sufficient resources are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edcamp unconferences are a non-traditional participant-driven form of educator professional learning. Although Edcamp participation has typically been voluntary, this mixed-methods paper presents participants' ( N  = 252) perceptions regarding their experiences at Edcamps run by their school districts and where their attendance was required. The majority of participants rated their Edcamp experiences positively. Many participants compared the content and format of their Edcamps favorably to the professional development available to them. Participants also offered feedback regarding how their Edcamp experiences could have been improved. We discuss these results and their implications for the Edcamp model and educator professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We use PISA data to examine changes in decision-making responsibilities across 33 countries from 2000 to 2015. • In most countries, teachers have lost decision-making authority, but governments and school leaders have gained authority. • Gains in government authority negatively impact teachers’ level of responsibility, especially in the domain of curriculum and instruction. • We argue that these changes pose a threat to teachers’ professionalism and autonomy. Abstract Despite frequent calls for greater teacher autonomy, governments across the globe have increasingly shifted decision-making away from the classroom. In this study, we use cross-national data from the Programme for International Student Assessment to examine changes in decision-making responsibilities across 33 countries from 2000 to 2015. We find that in most countries, teachers have lost decision-making authority, while governments and school leaders have gained authority. We also find that gains in government authority have a negative impact on teachers’ level of responsibility, especially in the domain of curriculum and instruction. These changes pose a threat to teachers’ professionalism and autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most public school teachers in the United States now leave the classroom before reaching retirement. Research on teacher attrition has tended to focus on novice teachers, using human capital or organizational theories to understand trends in teacher exit. This study examines the accounts of certified, experienced teachers who left teaching after making significant investments in the career. The accounts of these invested leavers are examined through a lens of resistance, illuminating issues of power as well as the ideals of teaching that may be expressed through the decision to leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edcamps are a voluntary, democratic form of unconference. This paper presents participants’ perceptions regarding the impact of Edcamps. Data were gathered from a survey and interviews ( N =105). Participants overwhelmingly reported that Edcamp experiences caused changes in their practices and in student learning. The impacts of Edcamps were often described in terms of student engagement, experiences, and dispositions, rather than traditional measures of achievement such as test scores. Participants experienced various obstacles and supports as they utilized what they had learned at Edcamps. Considering these results, the Edcamp model and its implications for other forms of teacher learning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study starts from the finding that a complex – sometimes even paradoxical - relationship exists between teacher autonomy and collaboration. Teacher autonomy is often equated to independence and individual work, excluding collaboration by definition. Hence, the first objective includes disentangling this paradoxical relationship by defining perceived autonomy and collaborative attitude as two distinct concepts. As existing autonomy measures are not equipped to capture this distinction, the second objective includes the development of a measure in line with the proposed conceptualisation. This resulted in an instrument consisting of three scales (collaborative attitude, didactical-pedagogical autonomy, curricular autonomy) with confirmed psychometric quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study details the experiences of teachers at four US urban schools as they participate in culturally responsive practice (CRP) in professional development (PD). The authors conducted a qualitative study supported by quantitative statistical descriptions to examine the behaviors that empower and engage teachers in CRP. Findings suggest that school policies promote and encourage teacher autonomy and provide opportunities for teachers to examine their own implicit biases and remain at the forefront of the decision-making that leads to the design and implementation of PD. A discussion regarding empowerment, engagement, and collaboration in the design and implementation of PD is presented. • The dynamic culture of a school sets the tone for professional development (PD). • School policies that encourage teacher autonomy lead to teacher engagement in PD. • Teachers need supportive environments for culturally responsive PD to be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a 3-year case study of four novice EFL teachers in China that examined the impact of collaborative lesson preparation on the development of their teacher autonomy, and the joint impact of collaboration and autonomy on their professional development. Data analysis of 48 individual interviews, 47 journal entries, and 26 classroom observation sessions has revealed: (1) the collaboration takes two forms: the product-oriented collaboration dedicated to producing a complete, ready-to-use set of teaching resources as a visible product, and the problem-based collaboration featuring discussions on certain teaching issues, which does not provide concrete help in physical forms but inspires insights and facilitates exchange of teaching experience; and (2) the two types of collaborative lesson preparation have different impacts on the development of novice teachers’ autonomy which is mediated by the level of teacher anxiety provoked by the circumstances of collaboration. Suggestions based on the findings are proposed as to joining collaboration and autonomy for synergy to promote teacher development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional learning in differentiated instruction (DI) is a challenging learning process for beginning teachers. This study investigates the interplay between job (i.e., teacher autonomy and characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs)) and personal resources (i.e., teacher self-efficacy) as hypothesized determinants of professionalization in DI. A sample of 227 beginning teachers from 65 primary schools participated. Path analyses showed that the PLC-characteristic ‘reflective dialogue’, teachers' self-efficacy and autonomy directly predicted self-reported changes in DI-practice (i.e., measure of professional learning). Moreover, autonomy and the PLC-characteristic ‘collective responsibility’ indirectly predicted self-reported changes in DI-practice via self-efficacy. Implications for educational practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the 'intensification' thesis, external pressures from policymakers, supervisors, parents, and experts fuel an ever-expanding teaching role and associated workload. Against that background, we examined how four interpersonal relationships (students, colleagues, supervisors, and parents), teaching-related and non-teaching-related workload (e.g., paperwork), and autonomy are related to teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). The participants were 1878 Flemish teachers 45 years of age or older. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling. Interpersonal relationships were differentially related to burnout. Teaching-related and non-teaching-related workload were both related to emotional exhaustion. Autonomy was most strongly related to non-teaching-related workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For some language educators, communicative-style language teaching, by definition, entails viewing the use of the learners’ first language (L1) as counterproductive to the learning process or as an unfortunate but sometimes necessary recourse. However, recent research has shown that L1 use can serve important cognitive, communicative, and social functions in communicative foreign and second language (L2) classrooms (; see also ). The current article documents an attitudinal survey of 29 ‘native-English speaker’ teachers at a Japanese university where the exclusive use of the target language is promoted as a key feature of the optimal foreign language learning environment. Results indicated that, contrary to the official policy, many teachers believed that selective use of the students’ L1, by the teacher or by students, could enhance L2 learning in various ways within a communicative framework. The authors argue that teachers and students themselves are best placed to determine, based on the immediate context of the classroom, what constitutes optimal use of the target language and the L1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined relations between teachers' perception of the school context, teacher burnout, and teacher job satisfaction. Participants were 563 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. Four aspects of teachers' perception of the school context (supervisory support, time pressure, relations to parents, and autonomy) and three dimensions of teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) were measured. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS 5 program. Teachers' job satisfaction was directly related to two of the dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment) and indirectly related to all aspects of the school context, through emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment. The three dimensions of burnout were differently related to the school context variables. Emotional exhaustion was most strongly related to time pressure whereas depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment were most strongly related to teachers' relations with parents. Implications for both research and educational practices are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Distributed leadership has direct effects on teacher job satisfaction. • The significant indirect effects are through teacher autonomy. • Distributed leadership has no indirect effect via exchange and co-ordination. Teacher job satisfaction is a heated topic worldwide. Among the possible factors influencing teacher job satisfaction, distributed leadership is very important one. Given very few studies have investigated the effects of distributed leadership on teacher job satisfaction through teacher autonomy and teacher collaboration, this paper is important. It is expected to provide international readers with a better understanding of how these variables are practised in the Chinese context. Specifically, we aim to achieve two goals. The first goal is to investigate the direct impact of distributed leadership on teacher job satisfaction and the second one is to explore how distributed leadership indirectly affects teacher job satisfaction through teacher autonomy and teacher collaboration. The data are from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) (n = 3976). Structural equation modeling revealed statistically significant positive effects of distributed leadership on teacher autonomy, teacher collaboration, and teacher job satisfaction, respectively. The further analyses indicated that the indirect effects of distributed leadership on teacher job satisfaction through teacher autonomy and professional collaboration were statistically significant. However, distributed leadership had no indirect effect on job satisfaction via exchange and co-ordination. Based on the findings, we propose some suggestions to improve teacher job satisfaction, such as strengthening communications between school leaders and teachers, and providing adequate autonomy to teachers. The detailed relationships among these variables are discussed in connection with Chinese educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study explores the impact of local content curriculum (LCC) reforms in Ghana. Analysis of local responses to this reform provides insights into the state''s influence on the actions and attitudes of Ghanaian teachers on educational decentralisation. These insights into the implementation of the LCC expand the understanding of the tangible effects of educational reform on actual learning institutions and pupils as well as inform about the central government''s real ability to effect change in schools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Movements to reform teacher education are underway in many parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. These attempts at reform are motivated by various forces, but appear to reflect an international convergence toward uniformity, conformity, and compliance. Our purpose here is to analyze the forces and contradictions that currently shape the education of teachers and the nature of their work in the US. Given the scarcity of debate and research in the face of the sweeping implementation of reform mandates, we raise here critical questions about their political, philosophical, and intellectual integrity and their intended and unintended consequences for teaching and for teachers’ autonomy. In this article we analyze teacher education reforms in the US in three steps. First, we examine the policies that have shaped the implementation of standards-based reform in teacher education, the assumptions that underlie them, and the means by which they are promoted (e.g., standards, assessment, increased regulations). Second, we analyze these reform policies and practices in the context of globalization and the global economy, forces that seem to define the ideological stances of the reform. Finally, we conclude by considering the implications for teaching, teacher knowledge, and teacher education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current article examines the effects of teacher classroom autonomy and school culture on collective teacher innovativeness, through integrated professional learning. This examination draws upon an analysis of TALIS dataset 2018 gathered from 241 426 teachers of 15 672 schools in 48 OECD countries, using a multilevel structural equation modelling approach. The article underscores the importance of enhancing teachers' sense of classroom autonomy and collaborative school culture to promote collective teacher innovativeness. It suggests that a collaborative culture would encourage teachers to participate in integrated professional learning activities, and that collective participation in professional learning would enhance teachers' collective innovativeness. • Teacher autonomy and school culture influence collective teacher innovativeness. • Teacher autonomy and collaboration are positively interrelated. • A collaborative culture promotes teachers' participation in professional learning. • Collective participation in professional learning enhances innovativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Teachers in Japan and Japanese are working under the school systems with low autonomy but high collaboration. • Teachers in the United States and Australia are teaching in the schools with high autonomy but low collaboration. • How teacher autonomy and collaboration shapes critical thinking instruction. • Our findings provide potential cues to policymakers for the critical thinking instruction. Teachers' autonomy and their collaboration with each other in teaching are assumed crucial in shaping the quality of their teaching practices. This study addresses this assumption by examining the role of teachers' autonomy in making teaching decision and their collaboration in teaching practices in shaping their use of critical thinking focused teaching instruction from a comparative perspective. This study uses Japan, Singapore, Australia and the United States secondary teachers' data from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) which is an international survey focusing on teachers' working conditions and teaching strategies. Each of the country involves average of 3242 participants and 12,968 secondary teachers' data were utilized in this study. Results have found that secondary teachers in the two Asian (Japan and Singapore) countries are working under the school systems with low autonomy but high collaboration while those teachers in the two Western (Australia and the US) countries are teaching in the schools with high autonomy but low collaboration. Besides, teachers in a low autonomy culture including Japan and Singapore intended to use more often strategies in connection to students' real-life to promote critical thinking. Yet, Australia and the US who hold a low level of collaboration preferred to foster students' specific thinking skills to promote critical thinking development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Professional development in multicultural education (PDME) is beneficial to teacher. • Teacher self-efficacy in multicultural classrooms (TSMC) can be developed by PDME. • Teacher autonomy strengthens the relationship between PDME and TSMC. • Teachers need room in their classrooms for developing TSMC acquired by PDME. With the increasing diversity in classrooms, teachers are called upon to have the efficacy of teaching students in multicultural classrooms. Professional development in multicultural education (PDME) has been implemented across the world for equipping teachers with the efficacy that meets the educational needs of diverse students. Using data from 47 countries in the Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018, this study shows that PDME helps teachers develop teacher self-efficacy in multicultural classrooms (TSMC). We further find that teacher classroom autonomy strengthens the positive relationship between PDME and TSMC. Acknowledging that diversity in schools will continue to grow, this study provides implications for teacher learning and development, multicultural education, and the school organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]