| Chapter 1: | Story of the Research |
|
|
Testing, an increasingly major force in education today, is arguably a serious constraint on autonomy. After the discussion of testing, I will establish a rationale for the study’s proposed model of autonomy. Within this section of the chapter, I will support the notion that autonomy can be decomposed into specific subcomponents or areas. The final section of the chapter represents a synthesis of its components and leads into this study’s methodology.
Before beginning, I would like to provide this study’s research questions so that the reader may better understand the rationale for the content of what follows.
Research Questions
Nowhere within the literature have I seen a comprehensive method that attempts to decompose the concept of teacher autonomy. One of the goals of this study is to look at the different ways in which public school teachers conceptualize their own autonomy. Specifically, I will decompose teacher autonomy as it relates to teacher control over curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, student discipline, classroom environment, and professional development. I will also attempt to discern whether or not teachers who are directly affected by high-stakes accountability feel they have or desire more autonomy over these six areas than their counterparts who are not direct targets of testing. Finally, I will analyze the data and determine how these teachers’ perceptions of autonomy can inform my work as a school leader. The following questions are designed to address these issues: