Teacher Autonomy
Teacher Autonomy refers to the ability of teachers to formulate their own curriculum, instruction and assessment tools. In Barbados this is seen in minute ways, teachers formulate their own assessment tools and instruction in schools. However, government policy dictates that they teach a set curriculum and at the end of primary and secondary school, students take standardized tests. Having full autonomy allows teachers to deliver meaningful instruction to each student in their classes with their different learning styles and needs.
Yes, as the teacher, I may have autonomy to a certain degree in creating curriculum, instruction and assessment tools but it in guided by the agenda of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training. For my class, I may have full autonomy for the content of the End of Term / Year tests that I develop. However, we don't have full autonomy for the curriculum, instruction and assessment especially where the Criterion Reference Test and BSSEE standardized assessments are concerned. In the classroom, students may have full autonomy for their learning where they have choices that allows them to learn ways to take control or ownership over their own learning. This, in turn, helps students develop a sense of self-confidence, self-motivation, responsibility, accountability for what they learn.
ReplyDeleteI concur with Francea, as a teacher in Barbados we are limited with how much autonomy we have in creating our curriculum, instruction and assessment tool. However, teachers adapt and deliver their lessons to the students in such a way that allows them to have full autonomy of their learning. This way students are in control of how much they learn.
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