The push towards greater autonomy is one of the three main trends in every modern educational policy, alongside quality assurance and quality evaluation techniques and the need to devote attention to special — and often disadvantaged — target groups. It is, however, difficult to derive a unified concept of `autonomy’ from the comparative indicators which are published on a regular basis and it has emerged that there are significant differences depending on the specific area and the administrative organisation of education in the country in question. During the discussions of the annual Congress of the European Association for Education Law and Policy (ELA) in Salzburg (1998) it was apparent that autonomy has to be considered in its various applications. Autonomy for school boards is realised through management, administrative mechanisms, management of staff and pedagogical options. Autonomy of administration requires competence, the willingness to establish an autonomous administration and awareness of each party’s responsibility in the educational process. The contents of this Yearbook are an answer to the question of how legislatures are responding to the trend towards greater responsibility, decentralisation and autonomy. It is an overview of the efforts made by the Member States of the European Union to apply the principle of subsidiarity.

There is now a considerable literature on Michel Foucault but this is the first monograph which explicitly addresses his influence and impact upon education. Personal autonomy has been seen as a major aim, if not the aim of liberal education. But if Foucault is correct that personal autonomy and the notion of the autonomous person are myths, then the pursuit of such an aim by educationalists is misguided. The author develops this critique of personal autonomy and liberal education from the writings of Foucault, and also considers Foucault's own educational practices. The author, James Marshall, who lives in New Zealand, has already written several articles for academic journals on Foucault.

This book discusses the importance of autonomy, agency, and identity in teaching and learning English as a foreign language, all of which are central themes in the educational domain. By linking theory with practice to appeal to researchers as well as classroom practitioners, it provides an overview of the theoretical constructs of autonomy, agency, and identity along with empirical studies that explore these constructs through life stories as told by English teachers and students. Key features include: • New ideas to inspire professionals involved in foreign language education. • Up-to-date information to showcase for English language educators how autonomy, agency, and identity can be conceptualized across various institutional, sociocultural, and political contexts.• A concise yet comprehensive review of the theoretical and practical issues characterizing English foreign language education today.

The book explores the idea that pedagogy for autonomy requires the integration of teacher and learner development and can be enhanced through a case-based approach in teacher education. A case-based approach values experiential professional learning and expands professional competences necessary to promote autonomy in schools: developing a critical view of (language) education; managing local constraints so as to open up spaces for manoeuvre; centring teaching on learning; interacting with others in the professional community. Two strategies to implement the approach are presented and illustrated. The first one involves teachers in designing, implementing and evaluating experiences of pedagogy for autonomy, which are the basis for writing professional narratives and building a case portfolio. The second draws on teachers’ pedagogical experience as the basis for the construction of case materials where experiential elements are combined with theoretical input and reflective tasks, so that the teachers who use those materials can reflect about and explore their own practice.

This text is one of a series of six studies which present the work carried out at the European Centre for Modern Languages. The aim of the series is to highlight the results already achieved and provide a point of departure for the future work of the ECML.

Autonomy has become a keyword of language policy in education systems around the world, as the importance of independent learning and new technologies has grown. Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, Teaching and Researching Autonomy provides an accessible and comprehensive critical account of the theory and practice of autonomy. Examining the history of the concept, it addresses important questions of how we can identify autonomy in language learning behaviours and how we can evaluate the wide variety of educational practices that have been designed to foster autonomy in learning. Topics new to this edition include: - Autonomy and new technologies - Teacher autonomy - The sociocultural implications of autonomy With over three hundred new references and five new case studies of research on autonomy providing practical advice on research methods and topics in the field, Teaching and Researching Autonomy will be an essential introduction for teachers and students to a subject at the cutting edge of language teaching and research.

And training: TERRY HYLAND

The topics of autonomy and independence play an increasingly important role in language education. They raise issues such as learners' responsibility for their own learning, and their right to determine the direction of their own learning, the skills which can be learned and applied in self-directed learning and capacity for independent learning and the extents to which this can be suppressed by institutional education. This volume offers new insights into the principles of autonomy and independence and the practices associated with them focusing on the area of EFL teaching. The editors' introduction provides the context and outlines the main issues involved in autonomy and independence. Later chapters discuss the social and political implications of autonomy and independence and their effects on educational structures. The consequences for the design of learner-centred materials and methods is discussed, together with an exploration of the practical ways of implementing autonomy and independence in language teaching and learning . Each section of the book opens with an introduction to give structure to the development of ideas and themes, with synopses to highlight salient features in the text and help build upon the material of previous chapters.

This book examines this contested relationship between assessment and autonomy from a number of perspectives in a variety of Higher Education language-learning contexts in Europe and the Far East. The contributors to the book describe research into assessment both for and as autonomy, as well as approaches to the assessment of autonomy itself.

For the first time, the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 project conducted comprehensive curriculum analyses through the co-creation of new knowledge with a wide range of stakeholders including policy makers, academic experts, school leaders, teachers, NGOs, social partners and, most importantly, students. This report is one of six in a series presenting the first-ever comparative data on curriculum at the content level. It summarises existing literature, explores trends in curriculum adaptation, addresses challenges and strategies for effective implementation and offers policy insights drawn from real-world experiences of curriculum reforms. This report explores curriculum flexibility and autonomy in global education systems, assessing how curricula adapt to diverse educational needs and contexts. It maps the stakeholders who influence decision-making on curriculum flexibility and discusses dilemmas faced by policymakers and practitioners between curriculum prescription and autonomy. Drawing on international examples, it illustrates how flexible curricula can enhance teaching effectiveness and inclusivity. It emphasises key strategies such as enhanced teacher training and collaborative policymaking, necessary for flexible curricula to meet educational needs. It also identifies critical factors, such as clear goals, accountability mechanisms, and societal support, which are crucial for successful curriculum implementation.