ABSTRACT
According to Benson (2011), “autonomy is a multidimensional capacity that will take different forms for different individuals, and even for the same individual in different contexts or at different times” (p. 58). The literature on teacher autonomy often describes the construct with prominent nouns in learner autonomy such as responsibility (Lewis, 2006; Little, 1995; McGrath, 2000; Thavenius, 1999) and freedom from control (Benson, 2000; McGrath, 2000) or perceives it as a vehicle to foster learner autonomy (Benson, 2000, 2008; Little, 1995; Nix & Barfield, 2009; Thavenius, 1999). Toohey (2007) conceptualizes teacher autonomy in relation to agency, emphasizing that teachers are agentive and that their agency is mediated by the socio-cultural contexts of their teaching (see also Ahearn, 2001).
