What Teachers Think about Children's Autonomy at School

Abstract

Twenty-one semi-structured interviews with school teachers were conducted in order to study the analysis of their beliefs about student autonomy and pedagogical practices that support its development. As a result, three groups of teachers' beliefs were identified. The typology of beliefs was based on the following criteria: content of beliefs, degree of their stability, practices used to support autonomy, attitudes towards school norms and requirements. The differences in the three groups of beliefs are presented as a continuum of meanings and practices, increasing from the first group to the third group according to all the criteria identified. From the first group to the third, the value of volitional functioning increases, the importance of control in pedagogical practices decreases, and the sphere of support for autonomy within the school but outside the classroom expands.

Keywords

• teachers' beliefs
• autonomy
• personal educational outcomes