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Teachers working together: What do we talk about when we talk about autonomy?

  • Jonathan Shaw
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Learner and Teacher Autonomy
This chapter is in the book Learner and Teacher Autonomy

Abstract

This paper explores the proposition that teacher autonomy might be realized where teachers are empowered by their institutional context to learn about student learning, and act upon that learning. This was something my colleagues and I have talked a lot about during recent years, culminating with their dispensing with a timetable altogether in recent collaborations. The measure of autonomy is then found in the discourse of team teachers, by what they assume, what they question, how they reinvent a course or a program, and how they come to shared understandings of what’s happening, and how they might impact upon those processes. Tasks then are ideally always appropriate to the moment. The approach described in this paper is interpretive, making use of interview data, accounts, documents, and action research methods.

Abstract

This paper explores the proposition that teacher autonomy might be realized where teachers are empowered by their institutional context to learn about student learning, and act upon that learning. This was something my colleagues and I have talked a lot about during recent years, culminating with their dispensing with a timetable altogether in recent collaborations. The measure of autonomy is then found in the discourse of team teachers, by what they assume, what they question, how they reinvent a course or a program, and how they come to shared understandings of what’s happening, and how they might impact upon those processes. Tasks then are ideally always appropriate to the moment. The approach described in this paper is interpretive, making use of interview data, accounts, documents, and action research methods.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Introduction
  5. Foreword 3
  6. Introduction to this volume 5
  7. Part 2. Concepts
  8. Teachers' and learners' perspectives on autonomy 15
  9. Freedom - a prerequisite for learner autonomy? Classroom innovation and language teacher education 33
  10. The shifting dimensions of language learner autonomy 47
  11. Learner autonomy – teacher autonomy 63
  12. Part 3. Realities
  13. Teacher-learner autonomy: Programme goals and student-teacher constructs 83
  14. The subjective theories of student teachers: Implications for teacher education and research on learner autonomy 103
  15. Learners talking: From problem to solution 125
  16. Roles learners believe they have in the development of their language learning – autonomy included? 141
  17. Autonomous teachers, autonomous cognition: Developing personal theories through reflection in language teacher education 161
  18. Part 4. Responses
  19. Teachers working together: What do we talk about when we talk about autonomy? 187
  20. Materials evaluation and teacher autonomy 205
  21. Teacher education towards teacher (and learner) autonomy: What can be learnt from teacher development practices? 217
  22. Multiple voices: Negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy 237
  23. Part 5. Epilogue
  24. Learner autonomy and teacher autonomy: Synthesising an agenda 269
  25. Index 285
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.1.16sha

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Introduction
  5. Foreword 3
  6. Introduction to this volume 5
  7. Part 2. Concepts
  8. Teachers' and learners' perspectives on autonomy 15
  9. Freedom - a prerequisite for learner autonomy? Classroom innovation and language teacher education 33
  10. The shifting dimensions of language learner autonomy 47
  11. Learner autonomy – teacher autonomy 63
  12. Part 3. Realities
  13. Teacher-learner autonomy: Programme goals and student-teacher constructs 83
  14. The subjective theories of student teachers: Implications for teacher education and research on learner autonomy 103
  15. Learners talking: From problem to solution 125
  16. Roles learners believe they have in the development of their language learning – autonomy included? 141
  17. Autonomous teachers, autonomous cognition: Developing personal theories through reflection in language teacher education 161
  18. Part 4. Responses
  19. Teachers working together: What do we talk about when we talk about autonomy? 187
  20. Materials evaluation and teacher autonomy 205
  21. Teacher education towards teacher (and learner) autonomy: What can be learnt from teacher development practices? 217
  22. Multiple voices: Negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy 237
  23. Part 5. Epilogue
  24. Learner autonomy and teacher autonomy: Synthesising an agenda 269
  25. Index 285
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