Hi Heather,

I can't quite see that there would be a relationship between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy. I think there is an inverse relationship between teacher control and learner autonomy, i.e. if the teacher is not prepared to let go of control then the learners cannot be autonomous.

Teacher autonomy suggests to me opportunities that exist for teachers to be autonomous in things like their selection of what to teach and how to teach it.

Is that how you see it?

Olwyn

Rather than trying to fir the learner into the way we teach, we need to adapt to the learner.This might mean teaching using techniques we do not feel comfortable with. Hence, my point about personalization.  Rania

Hello,

Just to clarify - I meant if a teacher did not really have autonomy vis a vis the curriculum, and as Kevin noted, testing procedures/schedule/assessments/assessment criteria etc.

I feel teacher autonomy is necessary in order to be able to respond to student needs, interests and motivation and to individualize our approach. Yet, if assessments and curricula do not coincide with these factors, then I'm wondering if the potential for learner autonomy is somewhat diminished.

Heather

PS: Sorry Rania - where's the point about personalisation - I can't see it - is it on another thread?

Hi everyone,

Autonomy is described as self-directed professional development on teachers' corner. We face that concept mainly at our online teacher training and development courses; I think autonomous teachers feel more confident with virtual learning environment. An autonomous teacher feels personal responsibility, attends workshops, comes up with new classroom ideas and promotes learner autonomy all the time. Students can sense everything, for example, whether a teacher is prepared or not; therefore image of such an enthusiastic teacher would change the classroom atmosphere.

Sirin

 Hi everyone,

A teacher  depends only   on standard which is defined by Ministry of Education in our country.  But A teacher is autonomy in spite of standard.He is free in material designing ,in creating strategy and tactics of a lesson, in choosing types of classroom management, being free within standard ,because a standard is not dogma. Who are we without autonomous?

Learner's autonomy is to choose subjects ( if a learner is given such opportunity) and to develop self-education and to have own opinion in each question. In brief, when a learner's constitutional rights are not limited, when a learner has freedom of speech and choice.  

Hi Sirin,

I think that the point that both Heather and Kevin have made is extremely important.  We may, as teachers, have all the qualities that you describe, but be handicapped by a very restrictive curriculum which we need to work around if we want to be able to do the things we know that we need to do in order to help students to develop the autonomy and independence that we feel they deserve.  I'm not sure that I can see a great deal of difference between Rania's concept of personalization and helping learners develop autonomy, but take Heather's point - made elsewhere - that we have to look at our students' capabilities to do this.  I do agree that enthusiasm can help with the classroom atmosphere, but being strait-jacketed by continual tasks and assessments can make this difficult.

Regards,
Phil

Hi all,

Thank you for that effective brainstorming on this issue. Personally, teacher autonomy has to do with being a proactive teacher to me. I agree with you about the restrictive context at schools but as we have mentioned in Good Practices discussion forum, even "appreciating someone who shows autonomy would foster learning autonomy" in the classroom, regardless of assessment targets. Another example to clarify my mind, an autonomous teacher is the one who follows discussions at Cardiff Online, who develops a classroom blog or who is willing to try new techniques in the classroom to motivate students. What do you think?

Sirin

Hi Sirin,

How would you use a classroom blog here, please?

Thanks

Heather

Hi Heather,

Below are some classroom blogs of autonomous teachers- personally, i find them autonomous and blogging might be one of the ways to promote learner autonomy.

- Ann shared her classroom blog on Autonomy and Online Learning forum, sweetpopcorn.blogspot.com

- Learning Techologies forum, using blogs to develop learners' writing skills

- Here is a community that brings Bloggers in ELT together.

- Ozge Karaoglu is a young English teacher, blogging on TeachingEnglish for teachers. and also TeachingEnglish article blogging for ELT is highly recommended, (especially "why should you blog with your students" section is very informative)

Best to all,

Sirin

Sorry Sirin - I was trying to make the link between 'an autonomous teacher' and 'classroom blogs', hence the query. I already do blogging with my students, but the links are interesting nonetheless. Thanks.

Heather

Hi everybody,

 I am so glad to be able to follow your discussion about teacher's autonomy.  I am a doctorate candidate fellow from Quebec (please correct my English if I am not clear enough in expressiong my ideas) and am interesting in exactly that link between teacher's autonomy and learner's autonomy.

I do believe in the impact of teacher's autonomy on learner's autonomy because of all you have already discussed.  

I think autonomy is a process rather than a state, that I would call autonomisation.  And it would change in time and in space.  As I understood (after Morin et Brief, 1995), the autonomisation of a person (different from of a nation or a collectivity) goes through some phases.  These authors also see autonomy in different types (which depends on what phase that person is), mainly three: 1)  functionnal autonomy 2) cognitive autonomy 3) psychic autonomy (excuse my translation from french).  

As a teacher, I think I had been able to observe these, you?