Review article

Teacher Autonomy and Professional Development

Dubravka Tischler ; Osnovna škola Petra Zrinskog, Zagreb

Abstract

The paper focuses on the directive approach to teacher training in primary schools that stifles the creativity of primary school teachers and reduces their autonomy, which, in the context of educational policies struggling to provide lifelong learning, means supporting formalism in the lifelong professional development of teachers and does not help develop teachers’ competence. Educational creativity in teaching and teachers, as the driving force of that creativity, are incompatible with prescribed and externally imposed forms of professional development. A restriction on teachers’ freedom and teacher autonomy is a restriction on their creativity in teaching and thus makes them mere agents for the implementation of a finalised and preprogrammed set of instructions for education. Regarding lifelong learning, which aims to establish the continuity of professional development and thus favour individual self-development, various forms of teacher professional development can be useful and effective only if internally motivated teachers participate voluntarily. The paper calls for a greater teacher autonomy when it comes to planning their personal and professional development and advocates interactive forms of teacher training that require a cognitive involvement and result in the acquisition of real, not just formal, teaching qualifications and professional competence.

Keywords

teacher autonomy; lifelong learning; educational creativity; professional competence; teacher professional development

Hrčak ID:

118291

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/118291

Publication date:

21.12.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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