Teacher autonomy refers to a teacher's independence and professional discretion in making decisions related to their teaching practice. It includes the freedom to determine course content and teaching methods, as well as the capacity for self-directed professional development and growth. While teacher autonomy provides benefits like improved responsiveness to student needs, it also faces challenges such as inconsistent education policies across states and a lack of training for teachers. The National Education Policy of 2019 supports enhancing teacher autonomy through career progression plans and allowing innovation in curriculum and pedagogy.

1. WHAT IS AUTONOMY?
• Autonomy – Derived from word ‘Autonomous’.
• Self-Organizing, Created by own, Ruled by own terms
• DECISION-MAKING capacity
• Learner Autonomy – Learners are responsible for making decision
related to his/her learning choices.
• Teacher Autonomy – Professional independence to take own
decisions in terms of teaching.
• SELF DIRECTED

2. Teacher autonomy - MEANING
• Teacher autonomy is defined by “the capacity to take control of one’s
own teaching”.
• Teacher autonomy means freedom of study, learn and teach.
• There should not be too much interference in the work of teacher by
higher authorities so that teacher may perform his duty without any
fear.
• Teacher autonomy is a professional term which refers to the
professional independence to take own decisions in terms of teaching

3. This Figure Depicts The Capacity Of Learner’s Decision Making Capacity Comes From His Ability
Mixed With Learning Desires And Freedom Of Making Choices Without Any Boundaries Of Control.
TEACHER - INSTITUTION

4. DEFINITIONS
• Little (1995) first defines teacher autonomy as the teachers capacity to
engage in self-directed teaching.
• Richard Smith (2000), teacher autonomy refers to “the ability to develop
appropriate skills, knowledge and attitudes for oneself as a teacher, in
cooperation with others.”
• Benson (2000) argues that teacher autonomy can be seen as “a right to
freedom from control (or an ability to exercise this right) as well as actual
freedom from control”.

6. Characteristics of Teacher Autonomy
• Smith (2001) summarizes six very comprehensive characteristics of
teacher autonomy as follows:
Self-directed professional action
Capacity for self-directed professional action
Freedom from control over professional action
Self-directed professional development
Capacity for self-directed professional development
Freedom from control over professional development

7. Other Characteristics
• Teacher autonomy is also known as academic freedom.
• Autonomy is also being described as a capacity to take charge of, or take responsibility for, or
control over your own learning.
• It involves ability and attitudes that people possess, and can develop to various degrees.
• The ability to self-assess for the sake of his/her learners,
• The capacity to develop certain skills for oneself as a teacher,
• The tendency to criticize oneself, self development, self observation, self awareness of his own
teaching, continuous reflection, sustainable development, self control, taking responsibilities
for his learners, being open to change through co-operation with others, questioning oneself in
particular position improving oneself so as to keep up with changing condition of the centaury,
an attempt to compensate for what he lacks as a teacher

8. Dimensions of teacher autonomy:
• The dimensions identified by Mac Grath (2000) are as follows:
 Teacher autonomy as self directed action or development.
 Teacher autonomy as freedom from control by others.
• In relation to professional action, dimensions of teacher autonomy are
I. Self-directed professional action (self-directed teaching).
ii. Capacity for self-directed professional action.
iii. Freedom from control over professional action.

9. WHY IS AUTONOMY IMPORTANT?
• In National Policy of Education (NPE) 1986:
“Teacher should have the freedom of innovate to device
appropriate methods of communication and activities relevant to
the needs and capabilities of the concerns of the community. The
pay and service conditions of a teacher have to be commensurate
with their social and professional responsibilities and with the
needs of attract talent to the profession.”

10. NEEDS OF TEACHER AUTONOMY
• Teacher autonomy is essential for ensuring a learning environment that
addresses children's diverse needs.
• Teacher autonomy is driven by a need for personal and professional
improvement, so that an autonomous teacher may seek out opportunities
over the course of his/her career to develop further.
• An autonomous teacher feels personal responsibilities, attends workshops
& come up with new classroom ideas.

11. NEED….
• Teacher autonomy refers to the ability to develop appropriate skills, knowledge & attitude for
oneself as a teacher, in cooperation with other.
• The teacher should have the freedom to innovate, to devise appropriate methods of communication
& activities relevant to the need & capabilities of the concerns of the community.
• Autonomous teacher feel more confident with virtual learning environment.
• Teacher autonomy is necessary in order to be able to respond to student needs, interests &
motivation and individualize our approach.

12. NEED….
• NCF (2005) states
“Teacher autonomy is essential for ensuring a learning environment
that addresses children's diverse needs. As much as the learner requires
space, freedom, flexibility, and respect, the teacher also requires the
same. Currently, the system of administrative hierarchies and control,
examinations, and centralized planning for curriculum reform, all
constrain the autonomy of the headmaster and teacher”.

13. TEACHER’S ROLE IN PROMOTION OF OWN AUTONOMY:
The teacher can promote his autonomy himself. Some suggestions to promote
the autonomy of teacher are as follows:
He/ she should read a lot to be familiar with current subjects.
Teacher should be able to observe himself.
They should co-operate with others‟
It is really necessary to be open to criticism.
Teacher should make notes at the end of lesson and evaluate them.

14. ROLE….CONTI…
Feedback by students may be given to the teacher.
They should be given the opportunity to develop his own
autonomy.
Teacher should observe each other to give feedback (peer
observation).
A very careful lesson plan is required.
One should be aware of his good and bad points or qualities.

15. DOMAINS OF TEACHER AUTONOMY
Value of studying teacher autonomy according to four different
domains where teachers exercise some kind of control:
Teaching And Assessment
Curriculum Development
School Functioning, And
 Professional Development

16. THOSE DOMAINS
Analysis of teacher autonomy based on these four domains
provides
• important insights about the different types of responsibilities
that teachers may have in a school
• the professional competence and working conditions they may
require in order to perform in each domain and
• the different reasons why teachers may or may not decide to
exert control

17. Teaching and Assessment
Researchers have examined the extent
• to which teachers exert control over their teaching goals,
content, skills, methods, and materials; assessment
criteria and methods; time management; procedures for
students’ behavior; and the classroom environment

18. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Research on this matter has examined
• teachers’ proposal, initiation, implementation and
evaluation of curricula, which includes the proposal of
teaching, learning, and assessment goals, approaches,
methods, content, and materials for the whole school or
part of it, and the introduction of extra curricular activities
to enrich the curriculum.

19. School functioning
described as teachers’ decision making on administrative
tasks such as
• School expenditures, budget planning, school finances,
class timetable, curriculum matters for the whole school,
and student demographic class-composition.

20. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
the extent to which they have the opportunity to engage
• in post-initial professionally related education and training
and
• decide for themselves the content, methods, instructors,
and location of their formation

21. WHAT TEACHER AUTONOMY IS NOT?
Teacher autonomy is not an independence or isolation.
Teacher autonomy cannot be explained as an exclusive psychological,
technical or political issue.
Teacher autonomy is not a static entity that some people possess and other
does not.
Teacher autonomy cannot be interpreted as additional responsibilities
given to the teacher.
Teacher autonomy does not refer to an absolute state of freedom constraint.

22. CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING
AUTONOMY
• The federal structure of Indian states with varying policies. This
brings non-uniformity in educational pattern.
• Pattern of summative assessment for grading students. Somewhere,
this pattern has affected a larger mass of student who are
conditioned to ‘being taught’ by the teachers. These students
depends heavily on rote memory mainly for grade purpose.
Consequently, they themselves never put much effort in going
through the concepts and their applications.

23. CHALLENGES….
• High shortage of trained teachers. As stated above training a teacher not
only brings up professional development but it also helps in shaping raw
young minds
• Empowering and controlling administration. In institutional setup, the
bondages of rules and regulations are many on teachers. Some of the high-
class IB schools and private schools have very inflexible policies for
teacher. Where they cannot implement a new learning style among
students.

24. MIND IT….
• Teacher autonomy is driven by a need for personal and professional
improvement, so that an autonomous teachers may seek out opportunities over
the course of his or her career to develop further.
• If the teacher possesses these qualities then he will be autonomous and studies
show that the autonomous teacher teaches very effectively and conveniently than
non autonomous teachers.
• There should be some professional independence among the teachers because
when they are free to teach, they teach more efficiently

25. NEP 2019
• Teaching and learning approaches are expected to be more interactive
through discovery, discussion and analysis-based learning.
• Teachers will need to be provided career progression plans, greater autonomy
& responsibility.
• Institutions and faculty should have the autonomy to innovate on matters of
curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment— informed by a broad overall
framework of higher educational qualifications that ensures consistency
across institutions and equivalence across programmes, both in Open &
Distance Learning (ODL) and the traditional ‘in-class’ learning.

26. NEP 2019
• A motivated faculty having the required experience and expertise is the
single most critical factor for providing an efficient and productive Higher
Education ecosystem.
• NEP 2019 proposes measures to be adopted for improving faculty
effectiveness and responsiveness through increased & diversified faculty,
reduced student-teacher ratios, flexibility and autonomy in curriculum
design and pedagogical approaches which are likely to also help keep the
faculty motivated and invested.

27. NEP 2019
• In its prescription, the draft suggests establishment of an autonomous National
Educational Technology Forum (NETF) “to provide a platform for the free exchange
of ideas on the use of technology to improve learning, assessment, planning,
administration and so on.
• The aim of NETF will be to facilitate decision-making on the induction, deployment
and use of technology, by providing to the leadership of educational institutions,
state and Central governments and other stakeholders the latest knowledge and
research as well as the opportunity to consult and share best practices with each
other.”
• Although setting up an autonomous NETF for free exchange of ideas on education
technology is not a bad idea, a better idea would be for the Central and state
governments to confer autonomy to education institutions and education
institutions to teachers, and teachers to students.

28. AIMS OF AUTONOMY
Opportunity to the teachers and students to make
innovations.
Utilize their creative talent.
Improve the standards of teaching, examination and
research and
Quickly respond to social needs.

29. INSTITUTIONAL AUTONOMY
Institutional autonomy refers to
…the ability of higher education institutions to set and
implement their own policies and priorities for teaching and
research, perhaps also other aspects of their mission, such as
community service.
Institutional autonomy denotes
….that local stakeholders are in charge; they are not being
controlled, and they are not pawns in an external plan. People
accept policies that give them a sense of being in control.

30. How do we define institutional autonomy?
• The ability to act without seeking approval from the State.
• Usually involves for the individual:
– Academic freedom to publish and speak publicly
– Freedom to design and deliver teaching programs that society
and the market need
– Freedom to research whatever one wants
• Usually involves freedom for the university:
– To develop a unique university strategy
– To enrol and select students (within agreed numbers)
– to spend as it wishes within an agreed budget

31. AN AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTION WILL TAKE UP THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF
The academic programmes.
The content and quality of teaching
The admission and the assessment of students

32. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTION
• An autonomous College will be fully accountable for the content
and quality of education that it imparts.
• The students would receive greater individual attention on the
basis of their needs and aptitude.
• Autonomy would encourage the students to think clearly,
critically and creatively and to express themselves effectively.

33. UGC – INSTITUTION AUTONOMY
Highlighting the importance of autonomous colleges, the UGC
document on the XII Plan profile of higher education in India
clearly states that:
"The only safe and better way to improve the quality of
undergraduate education is to delink most of the colleges from the
affiliating structure. Colleges with academic and operative
freedom are doing better and have more credibility. The financial
support to such colleges boosts the concept of autonomy."

34. UGC GUIDELINES FOR AUTONOMOUS
INSTITUTIONThey will have freedom to
 Determine and prescribe its own courses of study and syllabi.
Prescribe rules for admission in consonance with the reservation
policy of the state government.
Evolve methods of assessment of student work, the conduct of
examinations and notification of results.
Use modern tools of educational technology to achieve higher
standards and greater creativity.

35. The Magna Charta Universitatum Emphasizes That
“the university is an autonomous institution at the heart of
societies differently organized because of geography and
historical heritage … To meet the needs of the world around it, its
research and teaching must be morally and intellectually
independent of all political authority and economic power”
(Fundamental principles, para. 1).

36. THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES
Institutional autonomy as
“as the necessary degree of independence from external
interference that the University requires in respect of its internal
organization and governance, the internal distribution of financial
resources and the generation of income from non-public sources,
the recruitment of its staff, the setting of the conditions of study
and, finally, the freedom to conduct teaching and research.
.

37. COUNCIL OF EUROPE RECOMMENDATION
• Institutional autonomy, in its full scope,
encompasses …..the autonomy of teaching and
research as well as financial, organizational and
staffing autonomy.
• Institutional autonomy should be a dynamic
concept evolving in the light of good practice

38. ORIGIN OF AUTONOMY
The Kothari Commission (1964 – 1966) Considered Autonomy- A Must for Intellectual
Development and had Recommended
Freedom in curriculum design.
Adoption of new teaching – learning methods
Revision of rules for admission.
 Implementation of separate evaluation methods.
Introduction of specific programmes.

39. HINDU, JANUARY 13, 1998
‘Quality institutions need freedom to experiment’

40. NEED FOR AUTONOMY
• The affiliating system of colleges was originally designed when their
number in a university was small. The university could then effectively
oversee the working of the colleges, act as an examining body and award
degrees on their behalf. The system has now become unwieldy and it is
becoming increasingly difficult for a university to attend to the varied
needs of individual colleges.
• The colleges do not have the freedom to modernize their curricula or make
them locally relevant.
• ‘One Size Fits All….?’

41. NEED FOR AUTONOMY
• The 1964- 66 Education Commission pointed out that the exercise of
academic freedom by teachers is a crucial requirement for development of
the intellectual climate of our country. Unless such a climate prevails, it is
difficult to achieve excellence in our higher education system.
• With students, teachers and management being copartners in raising the
quality of higher education, it is imperative that they share a major
responsibility. Hence, the Education Commission (1964-66) recommended
college autonomy, which, in essence, is the instrument for promoting
academic excellence.

42. OBJECTIVES
• Determine and prescribe its own courses of study and syllabi, and restructure and
redesign the courses to suit local needs; and prescribe rules for admission in
consonance with the reservation policy of the state government; evolve methods
of assessment of students performance ,the conduct of examinations and
notification of results;
• Use modern tools of educational technology to achieve higher standards and
greater creativity; and
• Promote healthy practices such as community service,extension activities,
projects for the benefit of the society at large, neighbourhood programmes, etc.

43. THE ROLE OF THE PARENT UNIVERSITY
• The parent university will accept the methodologies of teaching, examination,
evaluation and the course curriculum of its autonomous colleges.
• To bring more autonomous colleges under its fold;
• To promote academic freedom in autonomous colleges by encouraging
introduction of innovative academic programmes;
• To facilitate new courses of study, subject to the required minimum number of
hours of instruction, content and standards;
• To permit them to issue their own provisional, migration and other certificates;

44.  To do everything possible to foster the spirit of autonomy
 To ensure that degrees/diplomas/certificates issued
indicate the name of the college;
 To depute various nominees of the university to serve in
various committees of the autonomous colleges and get
the feedback on their functioning; and
To create separate wings wherever necessary to facilitate
the smooth working of the autonomous colleges.

45. AUTONOMOUS STATUS
Autonomy granted to the Institution is Institutional and covers all
the courses at U.G., P.G., Diploma, M.Phil. Level, which are being
run by the Institution at the time of conferment of autonomous
status. Also all courses introduced by the Institution after the
conferment of autonomous status shall automatically come under
the purview of autonomy. Partial autonomy cannot be given to
any Institution.

46. • Autonomous status covers certificate, diploma, undergraduate,
postgraduate and M.Phil. Programmes offered in colleges that
are autonomous and those seeking autonomous status.
• The parent university will confer the status of autonomy upon
a college that is permanently affiliated, with the concurrence
of the state government and the University Grants
Commission.
• Once the autonomy is granted, the University shall accept
the students of autonomous college for award of such degrees
as are recommended by theautonomous college.

47. GOVERNANCE OF AN AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTION
• Governing Body
• Academic Council
The Academic Council will be solely responsible for all academic
matters, such as, framing of academic policy, approval of courses, regulations
and syllabi, etc. The Council will involve faculty at all levels and also experts
from outside, including representatives of the university and the government.
The decisions taken by the Academic Council will not be subject to any further
ratification by the Academic Council or other statutorybodies of the university.

48. BOARD OF STUDIES
The Board of Studies is the basic constituent of the academic
system of an autonomous college.
 Its functions will include framing the syllabi for various courses,
reviewing and updating syllabi from time to time, introducing new
courses of study, determining details of continuous assessment,
recommending panels of examiners under the semester system, etc.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee will advise the Governing Body on
financial matters and shall meet at least twice a year

49. STARTING OF NEW COURSES
• An autonomous college is free to start diploma(undergraduate and
postgraduate) or certificate courses without the prior approval of the
university. Diplomas and certificates shall be issued under the seal of the
college.
• An autonomous college is free to start a new degree or postgraduate course
with the approval of the Academic Council of the college. Such courses
shall fulfill the minimum standards prescribed by the university/UGC in
terms of number of hours, curricular content and standards, and the
university shall be duly informed of such courses.

50. •An autonomous college may rename an existing course after
restructuring/redesigning it with the approval of the college Academic
Council as per UGC norms. The university should be duly informed of
such proceedings so that it may award new degrees in place of the old.
•The university should have the right to review all new courses of an
autonomous college. Where there is evidence of decline in standards
or quality, the university may, after careful scrutiny, and in consultation
with the UGC, either help modify them, wherever possible, or cancel
such courses.

51. AWARD OF DEGREES
• The parent university will award degrees to the
students evaluated and recommended by
autonomous colleges. The degree certificates will
be in a common format devised by the university.
The name of the college will be mentioned in the
degree certificate, if so desired.

52. State relations in different types of autonomy

53. Accountability
In return for granting autonomy governments expect
universities to be accountable to them in respect of
four things:
* adherence to national goals and policies.
* maintaining academic quality.
* financial honesty and value for money.
* good management and governance

54. Accountability methods

55. Academic responsibility

56. Internal accountability may include
 Resource acquisition.
 Efficiency index.
 Average work load.
 Average time distribution between lectures,tutorials / practicals.
 Group discussions.
 Project work.
 Teaching aids used.
 Programmes and activities planned and implemented.
 Professional development of teachers.
 Utilization of infrastructural facilities.
 Number of books / journals in the library.

57. Academic responsibility
External academic responsibility:
• Meet societal needs of education and research
• Responsible research and innovation, RRI
• Be in continuous dialogue with the society and the
public
• Both keep integrity and co-operate

58. EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY MAY INCLUDE
• Analysis of contents of the courses.
• Course options.
• Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
• Performance of students.
• Students’ employment.
• Contribution to generation of knowledge and
• Teachers’ contribution to extension etc.

59. Interests of the State
• Achieving national targets and policy goals for HE
• Ensuring equal access to HE for rich and poor,
both genders, and all races
• Maintaining and improving quality
• Keeping the cost of HE within reasonable limits
(possibly, sharing the cost with parents, students
or industry)
• Developing the national research capacity.

60. TWO EXTREMES
State controlled
• MES approves senior
appointments and
promotions
• Rigid national pay scales
and working hours for all
levels
• Rigid ratios limiting staff
numbers
• Life tenure for academic staff

61. TWO EXTREMES
State controlled
• All assets owned by the
State
• Disposals/additions
tightly controlled
• No private sector loans
or JV funding allowed
• Regulations on student
numbers and use of
space

62. Few General issues
• Universities shall consider both internal and external
assessment of students in autonomous colleges for
admitting them to higher-level courses.
• Organization of special need-based short-term courses under
the colleges department of continuing education may be an
important activity of an autonomous college. Such courses
ought to benefit the students of the college besides
outsiders who may enrol for them.
• The time spent by teachers on projects and extension work
shall be counted for reckoning their workload as prescribed
by the Commission.

63. A wide variety of courses may be evolved in modules so that
students may opt for them according to their convenience.
Such courses may help them acquire additional credits.
Teacher evaluation in autonomous colleges may include
periodical self-evaluation, institutional assessment of teacher
performance, student feedback, research appraisal and other
suitable forms of teacher appraisal.

64. • Autonomous colleges due to their permanent affiliation with the
university need not apply for affiliation for new courses at the time of
introduction. Any new course to be started by an autonomous
college shall be covered under autonomous scheme
•Credit system and credit transfer among colleges in general and
autonomous college in particular may be suitably adopted.
• Autonomous colleges in a given region may form a consortium for
mutual cooperation/collaboration in chosen areas such as
management skills, national services, entrance examinations,
services projects, intercollegiate/ intra-collegiate sharing of expertise
and human resources for teaching programmes.

65. SUMMARY
The concept of autonomy was meant to promote academic independence
as well as excellence.
It also encouraged the introduction of innovations in order to improve
standards of education.
Quality assurance and higher academic standards.
Being an examination oriented system, teaching is to a certain extent
subordinated to examinations.
Testing and evaluation must help towards assessing several dimensions of
the learner.