Relationship between Teacher Professional Competences and Teacher Work-Autonomy

Abstract

The thesis deals with the relationship between Teacher Professional Competences and Teacher Work-Autonomy. The purposes of this research were to investigate; first, what are Teacher professional competences of Sekolah Sukma Bangsa teachers in Aceh; second, what is Teacher work-autonomy of Sekolah Sukma Bangsa teachers in Aceh; third, what relationships can be found between teacher professional competences and Teacher Work-Autonomy and of Sekolah Sukma Bangsa teachers in Aceh; fourth, is there any difference in Teacher professional competences based on gender, school location, classroom teacher/subject teacher, grade level or teaching experiences; and, fifth, is there any difference in Teacher Work-Autonomy based on gender, school location, classroom teacher/subject teacher, grade level or teaching experiences. The thesis presents a quantitative research study carried in Aceh, Indonesia in 2016. The research data were collected through questionnaires. Seventy teachers participated in providing information for this research work. The participants completed two questionnaires on teachers work-autonomy and teacher professional competences. Friedman s teacher work-autonomy construct measured teacher perceived autonomy, while Niemi s teachers professional competences construct measured teacher perceived professional competences. Research results indicate that most teachers of Sekolah Sukma Bangsa in Aceh occupied moderate degree of teacher professional competences and most of the teachers attained a moderate degree of work-autonomy. This study results also claim that there was a moderate and positive correlation between teacher work-autonomy and teachers professional competences. The direction of correlation was positive and there was evidence found of correlation between Teacher work-autonomy and Teacher professional competences. The results indicate that when level of teacher autonomy increase, the level of teacher professional competences escalated, and lower level of teacher autonomy is associated with lower level of teacher professional competences. Supplying teacher with high level of work autonomy is one obvious way to upsurge teacher professional competences. As degree of autonomy increased, degree of competences increased. On the opposite, when the score of autonomy decreased the score of professional competences is decreased. Teacher autonomy was associated with teacher professional competences. Research results also indicate that a degree to which teachers perceived work-autonomy and a degree to which teachers perceived professional competences were diverse based on gender, classroom/subject teacher, experience, level of school and location of school, even though the differentiations were not statistically significant. This research suggests that one way to increase teachers levels of professional competences is by enhancing teachers degrees of autonomy in the schools. School administrators should consider decentralizing the power of decision making in school and accommodate teachers to participate autonomously in school activities both in the classroom area and the school wide area.