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The Impact of Teacher Autonomy on Student Academic Achievement
Whitney Young-Magee
School of Education, Liberty University
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Abstract
Teacher autonomy is a crucial aspect of effective teaching and pointedly impacts job
satisfaction and student achievement. This paper examines the relationship between
teacher autonomy and the aforementioned outcomes. An emphasis is placed on
comprehending the components that influence teacher autonomy and how it can be
advocated for within the current educational system. Drawing from the review of
scholarly literature, this paper inspects the multitude of dimensions that live within
teacher autonomy, this includes curriculum, assessments, and classroom management.
Teacher job satisfaction and student achievement are also examined in relation to teacher
autonomy. Findings suggest that the more autonomy allotted to teachers in their
classrooms the higher likelihood that they are satisfied with their jobs and accumulate
better educational results from their students. Furthermore, the study recognizes key
components that directly promote teacher autonomy, such as professional development,
supportive leadership, and positive school culture. Lastly, the paper ends with a
discussion of the implications of these discoveries for educational policy and practice,
accentuating the necessity for improved support for teacher autonomy in order for the
issue to see progress in both teacher satisfaction and student achievement.
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The Impact of Teacher Autonomy on Student Academic Achievement
Introduction
Teacher autonomy is defined as the professional independence of teachers, specifically
relating to the degree to which they can make autonomous decisions about what they teach
students and how they teach it. Teacher autonomy has deteriorated further since the emergence
of the Pandemic, not coincidentally, there has been a decline in teacher retention. This has
created a teacher shortage which has become a major topic of conversation amongst the
education system and amongst government officials. One of the predominant reasons teachers
are leaving the classroom is their lack of autonomy. The National Education Association
provided statistics based on teachers’ perceived autonomy in the school year 2003-2004, only
18% of teachers reported feelings of low autonomy, almost a decade following this survey
another one was conducted, and it was determined that the number had risen to 41%, since the
fallout from the Coronavirus Pandemic the number has increased even more, reaching 53% as of
2022-2023. The results convey that more than half of the teachers that participated in the survey
now feel that they feel they have low autonomy in their classrooms. This issue is substantially
important in relation to teaching and learning as research lowered autonomy in classrooms is
closely associated with lowered job satisfaction, diminished performance, and decreased self-
efficacy in students.
The rise of requirements that cause homogeneousness in classrooms are greatly
increasing teachers’ difficulty when attempting to generate creativity in their educational
environments. State by state specific curriculum is provided to teachers and are told this
prescription should not be altered. Admittedly this does not automatically deny them the ability
to integrate engaging and research-based strategies in their learning environments, however, the
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increased pressure from superiors to have teachers using the same academic structures and
methodology across same grade-level subject areas may. Superiors have made attempts to
compromise at the, as they have mandated and continued to require teachers to follow state and
national expectations by implementing and requiring school systems to follow the priority
standards for mastery, which designates universal alignment and understanding of what students
should be able to accomplish following each grade level, but leaving it up to individual school
districts to determine how teachers integrate and teach these standards, ultimately this has not
been successful in increasing feelings of autonomy as the number of teachers feeling they lack
autonomy has increased. The absence of teacher autonomy plays a momentous role in triggering
teachers to become unmotivated, unfulfilled, or influenced to leave the classroom all together.
This acts as a tremendous threat to the educational system because no one is more armed to make
knowledgeable decisions about the needs of learners than their instructors.
Definitions of Key Terms
In this paper, several terms will be stated in direct relation to the aforementioned topic.
These words include teacher autonomy, student-centered, teacher effectiveness, teacher self-
efficacy, and student self-efficacy. Due to their significance to the understanding of the study, it
is necessary to define the terms. As stated previously, teacher autonomy is defined as the
professional independence of teachers, specifically relating to the degree to which they can make
autonomous decisions about what they teach students and how they teach it. Student-centered
refers to methods of teaching that shifts focus of instruction from teacher to student. Teacher
effectiveness is defined as the quality of an educator’s performance as it relates to improving
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student learning. Lastly, self-efficacy refers to individuals’ belief in their ability to execute
behaviors necessary to reach performance goals, both in the student and teacher positions.
Teacher Autonomy- The professional independence of teachers, specifically relating to the
degree to which they can make autonomous decisions about what they teach students and how
they teach it.
Student-Centered- Methods of teaching that shifts the focus of instruction from teacher to
student. Teacher effectiveness is defined as the quality of an educator’s performance as it relates
to improving student learning.
Teacher Effectiveness- The quality of an educator’s performance as it relates to improving
student learning.
Self-efficacy- Individual’s belief in their ability to execute behaviors necessary to reach
performance goals, both in the student and teacher positions.
Related Literature
Current Status of Teacher Autonomy
Teacher autonomy refers to the extent to which teachers have the freedom to make
decisions about what and how they teach (Edglossary, 2014 & Da Silva, 2020). More recently,
teacher autonomy concerns have become a major topic of conversation in education circles.
While teachers are primarily responsible for what occurs in their respective classrooms, there has
been a growing trend in the direction of standardization and accountability measures that have
significantly limited teacher autonomy. This trend has been influenced heavily by many different
factors, this includes their longing to increase student achievement, the need for uniformity or
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consistency amongst classrooms and schools, and their insistent belief that teachers require more
guidance, assistance, and support to be more effective.
In lieu of the challenges posed, there are several teachers who feel they have a large degree of
autonomy in their individual classrooms. In some cases, the autonomy provided is a direct
reflection of the school and district policies that support and encourage teachers to home in on
their creativity and innovation. In several other cases, teachers are just prepared to take risk and
try creative new things in their classrooms. Teacher autonomy can be observed in a multitude of
ways, including the freedom to select their own curriculum, freedom of choice in using a wide
array of teaching strategies, and decision-making about how student learning should be assessed.
This being said it is imperative to acknowledge that teacher autonomy is not commonly
distributed evenly across all classrooms and schools. Teachers employed at schools that report
higher levels of poverty, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and English language
learners often find higher constraints placed on their autonomy as a result of needing to meet
state requirements and mandates as it relates to their demographic. Furthermore, teachers that
work in environments with higher levels of conformity and accountability tend to feel pressured
to conform to specific teaching practices as suggested by their district or school. It is quite
obvious that teacher autonomy continues to be an important issue in education, as it stands, it is
also clear that more efforts need to be taken to ensure that teachers feel they are free to or part of
making decisions about how and what they teach.
Deficits in teacher autonomy can significantly impact job satisfaction among teachers.
When educators feel they are not able to make decisions regarding how and what they teach they
are likely to feel disempowered and lack connection to their work (Kasalak & Dağyar, 2020).
This can lead teachers to experience frustration, discouragement, and burnout. It has also been
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stated that “Teacher stress takes a measurable toll the teaching workforce, as many teachers
become burned out and decide to leave the profession”, teacher stress is partially influenced by
lowered teacher autonomy (McCarthy, 2019). Teachers who experience lowered autonomy may
also be less invested in the learning of their students and lack the motivation to improve their
instruction, which is a disservice to the students.
In addition, missing autonomy in classrooms makes it difficult for teachers to fully
develop their pedagogy, skills, and expertise. They may even experience feelings that their lack
of input in decision-making regarding instruction hinders them from wholly utilizing their talents
and abilities. This can cause educators to enter a state of stagnation, preventing them from
growth and further decreasing their job satisfaction. Overall, the absence of teacher autonomy
can negatively affect students and teachers, it is vital that schools and policy workers move to
create more empowering and supportive workspaces for teachers and educators.
Effect of Teacher Autonomy on Student Achievement
Teacher autonomy greatly impacts student achievement. When teachers are allotted the
freedom to make decisions about their instruction and curriculum, they are better equipped to
tailor their instruction to their specific learners. This can significantly improve student
engagement, motivation, student self-efficacy, and achievement. Teachers provided with the
autonomy to modify their methods of instruction to better meet the needs of their learners are
likely to be more effective in creating differentiated instruction and helping students to meet
requirements at their own pace.
To extend, teacher autonomy can encourage greater levels of innovation and creativity in the
classroom. Teachers given the independence to experiment and research through the use of new
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methodologies and approaches are more apt to build effective strategies tailored specifically to
the needs of their learners, further improving academic achievement, and student enthusiasm,
and diminishing student aversions toward learning. Teacher autonomy is a vital factor in creating
an environment conducive to learning making it even more imperative to prioritize this aspect of
education reform.
Increasing Teacher Autonomy
Increasing and cultivating teacher autonomy requires a genuine shift in the overall culture
of schools and school districts. Leaders, administrators, and policymakers must acknowledge the
value and importance of teacher autonomy. The recognition must move them to create policies
and structures that truly support it. A study conducted in 2018 depicted the result “That
Professional Development in Multicultural education helps teachers develop teacher self-efficacy
in multicultural classrooms” (Choi & Mao, 2021). It has also been noted that “Trained teachers
displayed significantly more autonomy-supportive behaviors than did nontrained teachers”
(Reeve, Jang, & Carrell, 2004) With that being said, supportive structures may include but are
not limited to integrating professional development opportunities that offer teachers the
opportunity to collaborate, reflect on current practices and develop instructional strategies of
their own. This could also include providing teachers a space to have their input recognized at
the school and district levels. When teachers feel that their expertise and opinions are valuable
and believe their voice is heard as it relates to the school culture, they are likely to feel
empowered and feel more confident taking risks and trying new educational approaches.
Additionally, fostering supportive and nurturing school environments that value teacher
autonomy may involve evolving and moving away from a culture of compliance and
standardization (Lu, Jiang, Yu, & Li, 2015). Schools can alternatively place focus on fostering a
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culture that encourages creativity and ingenuity. According to the article Perceived leadership
style and job satisfaction of Teachers in public and private schools “The higher level of job
satisfaction of private school teachers stems at least partially from differences in environmental
factors such as work conditions and motivation by the school principal” (Anastasiou &
Garametsi, 2021). Providing a space where teachers feel encouraged to be inventive and
experimentative in their classrooms as it relates to new educational approaches to instruction.
Steps to accomplishing this may include providing resources to help teachers enact their new
strategies and celebrating and sharing that instructor’s successes. When educators feel that they
are immersed in a supportive and collaborative community, they are more apt to feel poised in
their ability to take risks and try new things, and as a result, improve student achievement.
Learning Theory Association
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a learning theory that highlights the importance of
intrinsic motivation in advancing student success. “Self-determination theory postulates that
intrinsic motivation is influenced by three basic innate psychological needs: competence,
autonomy, and relatedness” (Schunk, 2020). Additionally, “Self-determination theory and
research suggest that students are more motivated and have higher achievement when teachers
support their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness” (Marshik, Ashton,
& Algina, 2017). According to SDT, when students are provided autonomy in the classroom in a
student-centered learning environment, they are more likely to have the intrinsic motivation to
learn, hence leading to better academic outcomes. When students are provided with autonomy,
they feel that they are at the forefront of their learning, which in turn increases their motivation
to learn. Student-centered teaching practices, such as providing choice or self-direction can
further enable student engagement and success in the classroom (Kengatharan, 2020). It was also
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noted that a study conducted in 2020 showed that “Both self-determination theory and flow
theory, with significant practical implications, suggested that teachers should support the
satisfaction of students’ needs for autonomy and facilitate students’ academic flow in order to
prevent student burnout” (Ljubin-Golub, Rijavec, & Olčar, 2020). Creating a learning
environment that allows students to experience autonomy in what and how they learn teachers
can help students to take ownership of their learning and guide them to improved academic
outcomes (Gutierrez & Tomas, 2019).
SDT also suggests that autonomy-supportive practices for teachers can improve both the
educator’s and student’s sense of competence. Which is a key component of SDT. When
teachers are given autonomy they feel more confident taking risks and providing more student-
centered activities to engage their learners, creating a trickling effect because when students are
given autonomy, they are more likely to take risks, ask questions, and engage deeply with the
material, which can help them to develop a sense of competence and mastery over the subject
matter. The increased academic performance helps the teacher and students to feel confident in
their knowledge and skill. This feeling of competence can lead to amplified confidence and
drive, which can help students and teachers to persevere in the face of adversity.
Finally, SDT suggests that autonomy improves student’s well-being self-efficacy, and self-
esteem. When students feel they have value in the classroom and control over their learning they
are more likely to experience positive feelings in relation to learning, as they enjoy and
experience happiness while doing so. This can also have a positive impact on academic
achievement. Furthermore, teacher autonomy, and educators feeling that they have control over
their classrooms can significantly enhance their job satisfaction and motivation to improve their
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instruction. By fostering a sense of autonomy in the classroom, teachers and students are able to
more effectively develop, which can lead to better academic outcomes.
Gaps in Research
Despite the mounting interest in the topic of teacher autonomy, there are many gaps in
the scholarly literature focused on this area of education. One significant gap is the minimal
research on the relationship between teacher autonomy and student achievement in cultural
contexts. The vast majority of research conducted has been done in Western countries. It is
uncertain whether their research on teacher autonomy can fully apply to other cultural contexts.
For instance, there are many cultures that place a higher emphasis on obedience and conformity.
This could shift teachers’ ability to receive and exercise autonomy. More research is necessary in
order to explore how cultural factors influence teacher autonomy and student achievement.
Another gap in research is related to the minimal attention to school leadership’s effect
on teacher autonomy and its promotion. Though the primary focal point has been on how
teachers can exercise their autonomy in the classroom, there has been a significant lack of
emphasis placed on school administration and leadership creating an environment conducive to
teacher autonomy that includes support and innovation. Leadership is essential to shaping the
culture of the school and providing conditions that fully support teacher autonomy. Further
research should be conducted in order to examine how school leaders can efficiently promote
teacher autonomy and create a school culture that supports student achievement.
In order to account for and address the gaps in scholarly literature relating to teacher
autonomy, future research should focus on teacher autonomy and student achievement in cultural
contexts and further examine how cultural factors affect the relationship. The research could also
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delve deeper into the role of school leadership in creating and environment conducive to teacher
autonomy and developing a culture that supports teacher autonomy and ingenuity. Additional
investigation could also observe the relationship between teacher autonomy and professional
development, and how this may influence teachers to experiment with new instructional
approaches to engage learners and improve student learning. Lastly, research should explore the
experiences of those teachers who feel they have higher autonomy in their classrooms and survey
the benefits and adversities they experience as well as the components that may minimize or
hinder their freedom to exercise autonomy efficiently.
To ensure that the gaps in research regarding teacher autonomy, cultural factors that
affect teacher autonomy, and school leaders’ impact on teacher autonomy, one may strategize
and design a mixed methods study that places emphasis on understanding the variety of factors
that affect teacher autonomy in different leadership and cultural contexts. The study would
require a survey and in-depth interviews with teachers and school leaders immersed or from
different cultural backgrounds as well as educational environments to gain further information
concerning their perceptions and perspectives of teacher autonomy and the impact of the school
leaders’ leadership style on teacher autonomy. The qualitative data collected from the interviews
will be analyzed through thematic analysis, meanwhile, the quantitative data gathered through
the survey will be synthesized using both descriptive and inferential statistics. This study’s aim
would be to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between
cultural factors, school leadership, and teacher autonomy in various educational contexts.
Biblical Worldview ** Add Scripture
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From a biblical worldview perspective, teacher autonomy could most closely be observed
as a reflection of God’s gift of free will to mankind. Galations 5:13 states “You, my brothers and
sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one
another humbly in love”. In the same way, God has provided people with the ability to make
choices and decisions, teachers should be granted the freedom to do so as well as it relates to
their methods of teaching and classroom management. This being said, the autonomy provided
should remain in the realm of God’s moral laws and principles, as teachers have a duty to direct
their students toward righteousness, morality, and truth.
The influence of teacher autonomy on student success and achievement could also be
reflected on from a biblical standpoint. Teachers that are allotted the autonomy or freedom of
decision-making as it relates to the teaching methods are better prepared to meet the diverse
needs of their various students, just as God has taken time to know and care for each of his
individual people. As educators exercise their autonomy with wisdom and attention to detail, the
build learning cultures in their classrooms that genuinely fosters and nurtures the growth and
development of their learners, both intellectually and spiritually. In due course, the intent of
education is to provide spaces that show that all wisdom and knowledge is grounded in the word
of God, and teacher autonomy plays a major role in accomplishing that. education should be to
cultivate wisdom and understanding that is grounded in God's truth, and teacher autonomy can
play a vital role in achieving this goal.
Conclusion
To conclude, teacher autonomy has been shown to have a significant effect on student
achievement. If teachers are provided the opportunity to make decisions about their own teaching
practices they are more apt to tailor their instructions toward their many diverse learners and
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create a holistic environment that nurtures growth and development. With that being said, as
previously stated educators must exercise this autonomy with full understanding that God’s
principles of morality should be ordering their steps.
Moreover, teacher autonomy can directly reflect God’s gift of free will to mankind.
Keeping in mind that just as God grants freedom of choice to all individual people, teachers
should retain that privilege in their classrooms as well, especially when it impact their instruction
and the demographic of students they teach. Ultimately, in exercising their autonomy with
guidance from God, teachers are better equipped to aid students in growth and development both
scholastically and spiritually.
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