Scientific interest in the topic of teacher autonomy has grown in recent years in research publications across both international and local literature. This growing attention may be due to the recognition that teacher autonomy is a key component of teacher quality (Çolak, 2024) and that it is linked to higher job satisfaction and retention, which are crucial for the effectiveness of any education system (Worth & Van den Brande, 2020). Additionally, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) places special emphasis on this topic and its close ties to teacher and student outcomes (OECD, 2024). Therefore, exploring the underlying factors of teacher autonomy and investigating how it can be strengthened may help improve educational outcomes.

This blog post is based on an empirical study that explores the link between school principals’ empowering leadership and teacher autonomy, as well as the mediating effect of teachers’ academic optimism in this relationship (Kasapoğlu Tankutay & Çolak, 2025). A cross-sectional survey design employing quantitative methods was used to investigate the relationships between the variables. Data were collected from 384 teachers working in elementary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools in Türkiye. In our analyses, we used structural equation modelling to estimate both the direct effects among the variables of empowering leadership, teacher autonomy and academic optimism, along with the indirect effects of empowering leadership on teacher autonomy. The empowering leadership scale encompassed school principals’ behaviours such as support, accountability and delegation of authority. Teachers’ academic optimism was measured in three dimensions, including academic emphasis, sense of self-efficacy, and trust in parents and students, while teacher autonomy encompassed four areas: teaching, curriculum, professional development and communicative autonomy.

‘Our results indicate that empowering leadership is a direct and significant predictor of teachers’ autonomous behaviours.’

Our results indicate that empowering leadership is a direct and significant predictor of teachers’ autonomous behaviours. A second key finding of this study shows that empowering leadership positively and directly predicts teachers’ academic optimism, indicating that when school principals empower teachers, it contributes to strengthening their academic optimism levels. Previous research has also highlighted other leadership styles, such as transformational leadership (Hong, 2017), as contributing to teachers’ academic optimism. Another result of our study highlights that teachers’ academic optimism positively and directly predicts teacher autonomy. Therefore, as teachers’ academic optimism increases, they demonstrate greater initiative in their instructional practices, curriculum delivery, and overall professional responsibilities. This result is important: in countries where teachers have limited opportunities to use their professional expertise in making pedagogical decisions, resilience can play a crucial role in empowering teachers to take independent actions and make decisions.

Lastly, our study indicates that academic optimism significantly mediates the connection between empowering leadership and teacher autonomy. This shows that when teachers feel empowered, they develop greater academic optimism characterised by a belief in their students’ ability to succeed, confidence in their own teaching skills, and trust in both their students and their respective parents. This heightened academic optimism can foster a more resilient and enthusiastic dedication to teaching, which can ultimately enhance teachers’ exhibition of autonomous behaviours since they feel more capable and self-confident in making appropriate instructional decisions.

Our study results have several important implications for practice. Highly centralised education systems, such as in Türkiye, barely allow teacher autonomy as they prevent teachers from using their professional expertise in making pedagogical decisions. In addressing this situation, it may be helpful for school principals to delegate authority to teachers, engage them in decision-making, create an environment that allows full use of their talents, remove obstacles hindering leadership, and empower them to take the initiative in professional matters. Additionally, to foster a culture of academic optimism, it may be beneficial for school principals to empower their teaching staff by providing meaningful collaborative learning opportunities, cultivating a culture of trust throughout the school, and supporting a positive school climate. However, in order to implement these recommendations, challenges such as school principals’ expertise, seniority, professional development levels and limited resources may emerge. It should also be acknowledged that institutional or cultural norms in different educational systems may prevent school principals from displaying empowering leadership behaviours, which in turn would support teacher autonomy.

References

Çolak, İ. (2024). Science mapping of the knowledge base on teacher autonomy: A bibliometric study. International Journal of Educational Management, 38(5), 1305–1324. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-05-2023-0241 

Hong, F. Y. (2017). Antecedent and consequence of school academic optimism and teachers’ academic optimism model. Educational Studies, 43(2), 165–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2016.1248902

Kasapoğlu Tankutay, H., & Çolak, İ. (2025). How school principals’ empowering leadership influences teacher autonomy: The mediating role of teachers’ academic optimism. British Educational Research Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4125

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD]. (2024). PISA 2022 results (Volume III): Creative minds, creative schools. https://doi.org/10.1787/765ee8c2-en  

Worth, J., & Van den Brande, J. (2020). Teacher autonomy: How does it relate to job satisfaction and retention?. National Foundation for Educational Research. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/teacher-autonomy-how-does-it-relate-to-job-satisfaction-and-retention/