LEVELS OF AUTONOMY OF TEACHERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Policies and Measures

1. LEVELS OF AUTONOMY OF TEACHERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Policies and Measures Promoting creativity and Innovation – Schools’ response to the Challenges of Future Societies Slovenian Presidency of the European Union 9-10 april 2008, Bdro pri Kranju Arlette Delhaxhe, European Unit of Eurydice Nathalie Mons, Université de Grenoble II, France

2. COVERAGE • 30 countries of the Eurydice network • Data collection at central level • ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 • Public sector • School year 2006/2007

3. MAIN AREAS COVERED2006/07 • Historical overview of education policies • Levels of autonomy in educational matters • Working time and duties • CPD : Requirements and opportunities • Teacher participation in reforms • Accountability and incentives

4. STRUCTURE • Teachers’ new responsibilities and innovation, such as: • Pedagogical autonomy and personalisation of teaching • Continuing Professional Development • … • What are the impact and means for these new responsibilities?

5. I. Teachers’ new responsibilities/duties and innovation

6. New responsibilities and search for quality • Over the last 2 decades, more responsibilities assigned to teachers • Many causes • Decentralization and school autonomy • New social missions entrusted to schools • The search for enhanced performances of educational systems, triggered by national and international assessments (PISA)

7. 4 pillars in this search for enhanced quality • Pedagogical autonomy and personalisation of teaching • Continuing Professional Development • Teamwork and the sharing of experience and knowledge • Teacher participation in reforms and educational innovation

8. New pedagogical autonomy • Historically, centralized curriculum in most european countries • Since 90’s, new pedagogical autonomy in developing school syllabi • Benefits expected : - Better differentiated education provision - development of teachers’ creativity and ability to innovate (engagement and motivation)

9. Figure 1.1: Dates of major reforms that have increased the pedagogical autonomy of teachers (ISCED 1 and 2) between 1950 and 2007 Measures taken to increase educational autonomy (:) BG and IE Source: Eurydice.

10. New obligations for Continuing personal development • CPD : an opportunity to enhance innovation • CPD considered as a professional duty in 20 european countries • Very few countries where CDP is optional and has no impact on career or individual level of salaries

11. Figure 4.1: Status of continuing professional development for teachers,ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 Professional duty Optional, but necessary for promotion Optional Source: Eurydice.

12. Figure 4.3: Establishment of a training plan for the continuing professional development of teachers, ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 Level of responsibilityat central level Level of responsibilityat school or local level No explicit training plan Data not available Source: Eurydice.

13. Teamwork • In most EU countries, teamwork promoted through legislation or guidelines • A requirement in more and more countries • Specially in school-wide curriculum planning

14. Teamwork on school-wide curriculum planning,ISCED 1 and 2,2006/07 Required Variable depending on the institution Not applicable Data not available Source: Eurydice.

15. Teacher participation in reforms and educational innovation • Grass-roots initiatives and suggestions for future reforms • Teacher involvement through : • a) large-scale consultations • b) pilot projects : • « Pedagogical Test gardens » in Belgium (nl) • Involvement of teachers in research in Finland • « Demonstration school system » in Norway

16. II. What are the impact and means for these new teachers’ responsibilities/duties?

17. Constraints to pedagogical autonomy • Research : no strong evidence of relations between school autonomy and innovation • In countries with historical pedagogical autonomy, movement towards more centralization (development of standards…) : effectiveness and equality at school

18. Figure 1.1: Dates of major reforms that have increased or decreased the autonomy of teachers (ISCED 1 and 2) between 1950 and 2007 Measures taken to increase educational autonomy Measures taken to decrease educational autonomy (:) BG and IE Source: Eurydice.

19. Figure 2.1a: School autonomy regarding the content of the compulsory minimum curriculum, ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 Full autonomy Limited autonomy No autonomy Source: Eurydice.

20. CPD • What are the means for CPD ? • What are the consequences of teacher engagement in CPD activities ?

21. Figure 4.2: Minimum annual time (in hours) that teachers have to spend on continuing professional development, ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 >= 30 hours < 30 hours No time indications Not applicable ISCED 1 and 2 No time indications Source: Eurydice.

22. Figure 4.4: Incentives for participation by teachers in continuing professional development activities, ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 Promotions Salary increases No incentives Source: Eurydice.

23. Means for teamwork • In most countries, no statutory definition including TW in working time • No special premises dedicated to TW

24. Teachers and educational reforms • Involvement of teachers on individual basis as experts • Pilot projects are very limited • Large-scale consultations are limited

25. Figure 5.2: Teacher or trade union involvement in curricula reforms, ISCED 1 and 2, 2006/07 Large-scale consultation with teachers Consultation with teacher trade unions Low-level participation (individual experts) ISCED 2 Source: Eurydice.

26. Conclusion • By entrusting teachers with new responsibilities, it is hoped the quality of education will be improved, through innovation, amongst other things • These policies have to be consolidated : • Cannot only be defined in terms of professional duties • But also in terms of working conditions and means to match these new responsibilities