Teachers’ Perceptions of Autonomy Support

Authors

Kimberly Hannah Siacor, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological UniversityFollow
Betsy Ng, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological UniversityFollow
Woon Chia Liu, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological UniversityFollow

Abstract

This paper aimed to elucidate teachers' perceptions of using autonomy support in Singapore's classrooms. Science and mathematics teachers (N = 10) were gathered for semi-structured interviews after a 10-week autonomy support intervention. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis with emerging themes pre-conceived from the literature. The qualitative data provides meaningful insights into the teachers' understanding of what autonomy support entails, to which relevant examples of what teachers said and did to be autonomy-supportive were illuminated. The findings present an in-depth description of teachers' experiences of autonomy support, suggesting the interconnected nature of the autonomy-supportive features. Teachers should practice the features of autonomy support in a meaningful and simultaneous manner to support the students effectively. Despite the limitations, the concrete examples of autonomy-supportive practices delineated in this paper can be used as a springboard for teacher education programs and autonomy-support training workshops.

Recommended Citation

Siacor, Kimberly Hannah; Ng, Betsy; and Liu, Woon Chia (2023) "Teachers’ Perceptions of Autonomy Support," Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 8: Iss. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol8/iss2/4