| 1. |
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Autonomy in education: theoretical and empirical approaches to a contested concept : Special issue to Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy (NordSTEP)
- 2015
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- Autonomy is a widely used concept in education policy and practice. The etymology of the concept derives from the Greek autonomos ‘having its own laws’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). As such, the debates around the concept circulate around individuals’ or groups’ ability and capacity to self-rule, and the governance and/or constraints, which limit such a capacity. However, autonomy has also been widely contested in philosophy, and as suggested by Rawls (1980), for example, the concept has been defined in a variety of ways. In educational research too, the concept has been debated from varying viewpoints, as, for example, scholars engaged in education history (Smaller, 2015), education sociology and policy (Ball, 2006; Apple, 2002), legal issues (Berka, 2000) and pedagogy (Reinders, 2010; Little, 1995) have all problematised and defined its meaning in relation to education.When applied to educational practice, this nuanced and complex concept may indeed mean a variety of things. Take school-level autonomy as an example. Schools are complicated social systems in which multiple actors operate in different roles, and in which one's scope of action may affect the decision-making capacity of that of others. The question of who in a school community may possess autonomy (e.g. the teachers, the principals, or the learners) has fundamental implications for the ways in which the school operates. Also, the matters over which the members of the school community enjoy autonomy have important implications for what school autonomy means in practice. If we consider teacher autonomy more closely, it becomes apparent that teacher autonomy is often understood in terms of a dichotomous pairing of constraint vs. freedom (Wermke & Höstfält, 2014). It could be argued that teacher autonomy is always about constraint, and drawing from Gewirtz's and Cribb's (2009) work, we suggest focussing on the ways in which autonomy is constrained, as well as the matters over which autonomy is enjoyed and by whom. Therefore, teacher autonomy should be distinguished from other forms of autonomy, for example, school or local autonomy. Indeed, increased school autonomy, or local autonomy, as witnessed, for example, in relation to the Friskola movement in Sweden or Academies movement in England, does not automatically grant to teachers an increased scope of action (Kauko & Salokangas, 2015; Salokangas & Chapman, 2014; Wermke & Höstfält, 2014).Moreover, the teacher autonomy debate has been influenced by and reflects wider global education trends and international comparisons. Indeed, autonomy has been a central concept in education policy in Nordic countries (Frostenson, 2012) as well as elsewhere (Caldwell, 2008; Glatter, 2012). Recently, this could be seen, for example, in relation to ‘PISA envy’, and the ways in which Finland's consistent success in PISA has been explained, at least partly, through its highly educated and autonomous teaching workforce (Lopez, 2012; Stenlås, 2011). However, as the contributions in this issue highlight, international comparisons concerning teacher autonomy must remain sensitive to the national and local contexts in which teachers operate, and consider what autonomy actually means for teachers in those settings (Salokangas & Kauko, in press; Wermke, 2013).It is these complexities, inherent in the concept of autonomy, as well as its practical applications, that this edited collection was set to discuss and offer contributions to varied discourses concerning this important, widely debated, and contested concept. The special issue is divided into two sections. The first section presents three invited essays that offer theoretical perspectives on autonomy. The first two, by Gerald Dworkin and Evert Vedung, respectively, are not educational per se, but offer important conceptual contributions to the discussion. The third essay by Magnus Frostenson discusses the multidimensionality of the concept with a focus on education and teaching. The second section comprises empirical studies that discuss the concept of autonomy in different national and local contexts. The articles report on research conducted in Norway (Christina Elde Mølstadt & Sølvi Mausethagen), Germany (Martin Heinrich), Sweden (Sara Maria Sjödin, Andreas Bergh, Ulf Lundström) and England (Ruth McGinity).
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| 2. |
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Autonomy in education: theoretical and empirical approaches to a contested concept : Special Issue of Nordic Journal on Studies on Educational Policy, NordSTEP
- 2015
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- Autonomy is a widely used concept in educationpolicy and practice. The etymology of the con-cept derives from the Greekautonomos‘havingits own laws’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). As such, thedebates around the concept circulate around individuals’or groups’ ability and capacity to self-rule, and the gov-ernance and/or constraints, which limit such a capacity.However, autonomy has also been widely contestedin philosophy, and as suggested by Rawls (1980), forexample, the concept has been defined in a variety ofways. In educational research too, the concept has beendebated from varying viewpoints, as, for example, scholarsengaged in education history (Smaller, 2015), educationsociology and policy (Ball, 2006; Apple, 2002), legalissues (Berka, 2000) and pedagogy (Reinders, 2010; Little,1995) have all problematised and defined its meaning inrelation to education.When applied to educational practice, this nuanced andcomplex concept may indeed mean a variety of things.Take school-level autonomy as an example. Schools arecomplicated social systems in which multiple actorsoperate in different roles, and in which one’s scope ofaction may affect the decision-making capacity of that ofothers. The question of who in a school community maypossess autonomy (e.g. the teachers, the principals, or thelearners) has fundamental implications for the ways inwhich the school operates. Also, the matters over whichthe members of the school community enjoy autonomyhave important implications for what school autonomymeans in practice. If we consider teacher autonomy moreclosely, it becomes apparent that teacher autonomy isoften understood in terms of a dichotomous pairing ofconstraint vs. freedom (Wermke & Ho ̈stfa ̈lt, 2014). Itcould be argued that teacher autonomy isalwaysaboutconstraint, and drawing from Gewirtz’s and Cribb’s (2009)work, we suggest focussing on the ways in which auto-nomy is constrained, as well as the matters over whichautonomy is enjoyed and by whom. Therefore, teacherautonomy should be distinguished from other formsof autonomy, for example, school or local autonomy.Indeed, increased school autonomy, or local autonomy, aswitnessed, for example, in relation to theFriskolamove-ment in Sweden orAcademiesmovement in England, doesnot automatically grant to teachers an increased scopeof action (Kauko & Salokangas, 2015; Salokangas &Chapman, 2014; Wermke & Ho ̈stfa ̈lt, 2014).Moreover, the teacher autonomy debate has beeninfluenced by and reflects wider global education trendsand international comparisons. Indeed, autonomy hasbeen a central concept in education policy in Nordiccountries (Frostenson, 2012) as well as elsewhere (Caldwell,2008; Glatter, 2012). Recently, this could be seen, forexample, in relation to ‘PISA envy’, and the ways inwhich Finland’s consistent success in PISA has beenexplained, at least partly, through its highly educated andautonomous teaching workforce (Lopez, 2012; Stenla ̊s,2011). However, as the contributions in this issue high-light, international comparisons concerning teacher auto-nomy must remain sensitive to the national and localcontexts in which teachers operate, and consider whatautonomy actually means for teachers in those settings(Salokangas & Kauko, in press; Wermke, 2013).It is these complexities, inherent in the concept ofautonomy, as well as its practical applications, that thisedited collection was set to discuss and offer contribu-tions to varied discourses concerning this important,widely debated, and contested concept. The special issueis divided into two sections. The first section presentsthree invited essays that offer theoretical perspectives onautonomy. The first two, by Gerald Dworkin and EvertVedung, respectively, are not educationalper se, but offerimportant conceptual contributions to the discussion.The third essay by Magnus Frostenson discusses the multi-dimensionality of the concept with a focus on educationand teaching. The second section comprises empiricalstudies that discuss the concept of autonomy in differentnational and local contexts. The articles report on researchconducted in Norway (Christina Elde Mølstadt & SølviMausethagen), Germany (Martin Heinrich), Sweden(Sara Maria Sjo ̈din, Andreas Bergh, Ulf Lundstro ̈m)and England (Ruth McGinity).
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| 3. |
- Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N., et al.
(författare)
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Gender, age at onset, and duration of being ill as predictors for the long-term course and outcome of schizophrenia : an international multicenter study
- 2022
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Ingår i: CNS Spectrums. - : CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. - 1092-8529 .- 2165-6509. ; 27:6, s. 716-723
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The aim of the current study was to explore the effect of gender, age at onset, and duration on the long-term course of schizophrenia. Methods Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries representing all continents participated in the study that included 2358 patients aged 37.21 +/- 11.87 years with a DSM-IV or DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia; the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale as well as relevant clinicodemographic data were gathered. Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used, and the methodology corrected for the presence of potentially confounding effects. Results There was a 3-year later age at onset for females (P < .001) and lower rates of negative symptoms (P < .01) and higher depression/anxiety measures (P < .05) at some stages. The age at onset manifested a distribution with a single peak for both genders with a tendency of patients with younger onset having slower advancement through illness stages (P = .001). No significant effects were found concerning duration of illness. Discussion Our results confirmed a later onset and a possibly more benign course and outcome in females. Age at onset manifested a single peak in both genders, and surprisingly, earlier onset was related to a slower progression of the illness. No effect of duration has been detected. These results are partially in accord with the literature, but they also differ as a consequence of the different starting point of our methodology (a novel staging model), which in our opinion precluded the impact of confounding effects. Future research should focus on the therapeutic policy and implications of these results in more representative samples.
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| 4. |
- Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N., et al.
(författare)
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Staging of Schizophrenia With the Use of PANSS : An International Multi-Center Study
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. - : Oxford University Press. - 1461-1457 .- 1469-5111. ; 22:11, s. 681-697
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionA specific clinically relevant staging model for schizophrenia has not yet been developed. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the factor structure of the PANSS and develop such a staging method.MethodsTwenty-nine centers from 25 countries contributed 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with schizophrenia. Analysis of covariance, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Discriminant Function Analysis, and inspection of resultant plots were performed.ResultsExploratory Factor Analysis returned 5 factors explaining 59% of the variance (positive, negative, excitement/hostility, depression/anxiety, and neurocognition). The staging model included 4 main stages with substages that were predominantly characterized by a single domain of symptoms (stage 1: positive; stages 2a and 2b: excitement/hostility; stage 3a and 3b: depression/anxiety; stage 4a and 4b: neurocognition). There were no differences between sexes. The Discriminant Function Analysis developed an algorithm that correctly classified >85% of patients.DiscussionThis study elaborates a 5-factor solution and a clinical staging method for patients with schizophrenia. It is the largest study to address these issues among patients who are more likely to remain affiliated with mental health services for prolonged periods of time.
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| 5. |
- Keddie, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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What needs to happen for school autonomy to be mobilised to create more equitable public schools and systems of education?
- 2023
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Ingår i: The Australian Educational Researcher. - : Springer. - 0311-6999 .- 2210-5328. ; 50:5, s. 1571-1597
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The series of responses in this article were gathered as part of an online mini conference held in September 2021 that sought to explore different ideas and articulations of school autonomy reform across the world (Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the USA, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand). It centred upon an important question: what needs to happen for school autonomy to be mobilised to create more equitable public schools and systems of education? There was consensus across the group that school autonomy reform creates further inequities at school and system levels when driven by the logics of marketisation, competition, economic efficiency and public accountability. Against the backdrop of these themes, the conference generated discussion and debate where provocations and points of agreement and disagreement about issues of social justice and the mobilisation of school autonomy reform were raised. As an important output of this discussion, we asked participants to write a short response to the guiding conference question. The following are these responses which range from philosophical considerations, systems and governance perspectives, national particularities and teacher and principal perspectives.
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| 6. |
- Maija, Salokangas, et al.
(författare)
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The junior cycle reform form a comparative perspective : Assessment as curriculum practice according to Irish, Finnish, and Swedish teachers
- 2021
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Ingår i: Curriculum reform within policy and practice. - : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9783030507060 - 9783030507077 ; , s. 209-227
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Junior Cycle Reform reduced the significance of a national exam at lower secondary level, by introducing continuous assessment conducted by teachers. Increasing teacher’s role in student assessment was controversial and sparked a national debate concerning the extent to which teachers should be involved in the assessment process. This chapter relates this Irish debate to developments elsewhere; countries that have taken very different approaches to student assessment in recent curriculum reforms. In particular, we compare how second level teachers perceive their role in student assessment in Ireland, Finland and Sweden. This leads us to argue that it is important to understand why similar quality and quantity of decision-making capacity can be perceived differently by teachers working in different contexts. Furthermore we argue that the tension between decisions to be made, how and by whom those decisions are controlled, and associated complexity and risks, create context-specific teacher autonomy mindsets, which constitute how autonomous a national teaching profession perceives itself.
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| 7. |
- Salokangas, Maija, et al.
(författare)
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Teachers' autonomy deconstructed : Irish and Finnish teachers' perceptions of decision-making and control
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Educational Research Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 1474-9041. ; 19:4, s. 329-350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Teacher autonomy has been a popular topic of investigation over the past decades. This article contributes to the debate by casting light on Irish and Finnish teachers' perceptions of their professional autonomy, drawing from teacher interviews conducted in both countries. The intersection of newly introduced curriculum reforms, differing education governance models and differing control regimes make Ireland and Finland fertile points of comparison. Teacher autonomy is understood in this article as a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon, and the conceptualisation is presented in an analytical matrix applicable to comparative research. Findings indicate that teachers in both countries consider themselves very autonomous in their classroom practice and in their educational decisions overall. However, where much of the school-level decision-making in Finnish schools concerning educational, social and developmental issues tends to be in the hands of teachers (either collegially or as individuals), in Irish schools the senior management, and especially the principal, is reportedly more involved. Possibly the greatest difference is the ways in which teachers' work is controlled, and in how teachers perceive it; Finnish teachers report intensified external control from the civil society, whereas on top of parental pressures Irish teachers report also increasing pressures from the state agencies.
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| 8. |
- Salokangas, Maija, et al.
(författare)
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Unpacking autonomy for empirical comparative investigation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Oxford Review of Education. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0305-4985 .- 1465-3915. ; 46:5, s. 563-581
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Teacher autonomy has been a topic of growing interest over recent decades. However, what teacher autonomy means remains work in progress. Drawing from existing conceptualisations, which consider teacher autonomy as a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon this paper presents an analytical device applicable in international comparative studies. The conceptualisation is presented in the form of a matrix, which distinguishes different domains and levels of teacher autonomy. A sample of existing research is then utilised to demonstrate how the matrix can assist in cumulative knowledge building. The article demonstrates how the matrix can be applied, in particular, to empirical comparative research.
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| 9. |
- Wermke, Wieland, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Autonomy in education : theoretical and empirical approaches to a contested concept
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy. - : CoAction Publishing. - 2002-0317. ; 1:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Autonomy is a widely used concept in education policy and practice. The etymology of the concept derives from the Greek autonomos ‘having its own laws’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). As such, the debates around the concept circulate around individuals’ or groups’ ability and capacity to self-rule, and the governance and/or constraints, which limit such a capacity. However, autonomy has also been widely contested in philosophy, and as suggested by Rawls (1980), for example, the concept has been defined in a variety of ways. In educational research too, the concept has been debated from varying viewpoints, as, for example, scholars engaged in education history (Smaller, 2015), education sociology and policy (Ball, 2006; Apple, 2002), legal issues (Berka, 2000) and pedagogy (Reinders, 2010; Little, 1995) have all problematised and defined its meaning in relation to education.When applied to educational practice, this nuanced and complex concept may indeed mean a variety of things. Take school-level autonomy as an example. Schools are complicated social systems in which multiple actors operate in different roles, and in which one's scope of action may affect the decision-making capacity of that of others. The question of who in a school community may possess autonomy (e.g. the teachers, the principals, or the learners) has fundamental implications for the ways in which the school operates. Also, the matters over which the members of the school community enjoy autonomy have important implications for what school autonomy means in practice. If we consider teacher autonomy more closely, it becomes apparent that teacher autonomy is often understood in terms of a dichotomous pairing of constraint vs. freedom (Wermke & Höstfält, 2014). It could be argued that teacher autonomy is always about constraint, and drawing from Gewirtz's and Cribb's (2009) work, we suggest focussing on the ways in which autonomy is constrained, as well as the matters over which autonomy is enjoyed and by whom. Therefore, teacher autonomy should be distinguished from other forms of autonomy, for example, school or local autonomy. Indeed, increased school autonomy, or local autonomy, as witnessed, for example, in relation to the Friskola movement in Sweden or Academies movement in England, does not automatically grant to teachers an increased scope of action (Kauko & Salokangas, 2015; Salokangas & Chapman, 2014; Wermke & Höstfält, 2014).Moreover, the teacher autonomy debate has been influenced by and reflects wider global education trends and international comparisons. Indeed, autonomy has been a central concept in education policy in Nordic countries (Frostenson, 2012) as well as elsewhere (Caldwell, 2008; Glatter, 2012). Recently, this could be seen, for example, in relation to ‘PISA envy’, and the ways in which Finland's consistent success in PISA has been explained, at least partly, through its highly educated and autonomous teaching workforce (Lopez, 2012; Stenlås, 2011). However, as the contributions in this issue highlight, international comparisons concerning teacher autonomy must remain sensitive to the national and local contexts in which teachers operate, and consider what autonomy actually means for teachers in those settings (Salokangas & Kauko, in press; Wermke, 2013).It is these complexities, inherent in the concept of autonomy, as well as its practical applications, that this edited collection was set to discuss and offer contributions to varied discourses concerning this important, widely debated, and contested concept. The special issue is divided into two sections. The first section presents three invited essays that offer theoretical perspectives on autonomy. The first two, by Gerald Dworkin and Evert Vedung, respectively, are not educational per se, but offer important conceptual contributions to the discussion. The third essay by Magnus Frostenson discusses the multidimensionality of the concept with a focus on education and teaching. The second section comprises empirical studies that discuss the concept of autonomy in different national and local contexts. The articles report on research conducted in Norway (Christina Elde Mølstadt & Sølvi Mausethagen), Germany (Martin Heinrich), Sweden (Sara Maria Sjödin, Andreas Bergh, Ulf Lundström) and England (Ruth McGinity).
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| 10. |
- Wermke, Wieland, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Decision-making and control : perceived autonomy of teachers in Germany and Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Curriculum Studies. - : ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0022-0272 .- 1366-5839. ; 51:3, s. 306-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Teacher autonomy has become an increasingly popular research topic over the past decade, reflecting wider national and global education trends. In this light, this article investigates and compares the perceptions of German and Swedish teachers concerning their professional autonomy. We analyse teachers' perceptions using a grid, and view teacher autonomy as a multidimensional phenomenon taking place in different domains (educational, social, developmental and administrative) and at different levels (classroom, school, profession). The findings show that the teachers interviewed in Germany and Sweden value autonomy in various domains and dimensions differently, even if there also are many similarities. In instruction, that is, the educational autonomy domain, they perceive themselves to be very autonomous, in particular in relation to choices of content and method. Autonomous work in the classroom arena is also seen as the very core of the teaching profession. Overall, German teachers perceive themselves to be significantly involved in more areas of their work, and they refer much more to decisions which are to be made, whereas their Swedish colleagues are more concerned about control. Finally, we discuss the findings in relation to different nation-specific forms of extended or restricted autonomy teacher autonomy.
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