Teacher autonomy in second language education

Abstract

While the teacher education literature tend to equate teacher autonomy with professional freedom,the second/ foreign language education literature views professional freedom as one but by no means the most important element in a conception of teacher autonomy.Reviewing the development of the idea of teacher autonomy in second language education,we begin by outlining its origins in the literature on learner autonomy.We then discuss three major phases in the evolution of the idea of teacher autonomy in second language education,involving concerns with:(1)teacher roles,(2)teacher professionalism,and(3)professional freedom. In conclusion,we discuss the implications of different conceptions of teacher autonomy for teacher education practice and research.

廣域教師教育研究傾向于把教師自主性等同于教師的專業自由。第二語言/外語教育雖然把教師的專業自由視為教師自主性的一個組成部分,但不是最重要的組成部分。本文首先簡述近20幾年第二語言教育的學習者自主性和教師自主性研究,從中勾畫出教師自主性概念的主要發展脈絡。接著討論第二語言教育教師自主性概念發展的三個主要階段并著重分析教師作用、教師專業化和教師專業自由等三個問題。最后探討第二語言教育教師自主性研究對開展教師教育實踐和研究的啟示。