School – a Place of Pressure or Participation? The Teacher’s Sense of Autonomy in the School Environment and Its Selected Determinants

Introduction: The theoretical framework for the research was provided by the self-determination theory, according to which the teacher’s functioning in the classroom is determined by the satisfaction of their need for autonomy at school. Research Aim: The aim of this paper was (1) to develop a preliminary Polish-language version of a tool for measuring the teacher’s sense of autonomy at school; (2) to discuss the level of teacher autonomy at school reported by the respondents, (3) to identify the determinants of the level of teacher autonomy at school reported by the respondents. Research Method: A diagnostic survey method was used; 169 teachers were asked to complete the Sense of Teacher Autonomy Questionnaire and the Portrait Value Questionnaire. Results: The preliminary Polish-language version of the tool for measuring the teacher’s sense of autonomy at school consists of two subscales: Pressure and Participation. Each of them has acceptable reliability. The analysis of the data collected using this measure revealed that the level of respondents’ self-reported satisfaction of their need for autonomy was higher than the level of its frustration. The level of satisfaction of the need for autonomy positively correlates with the recognition of the value of compliance with rules; the level of frustration of the need for autonomy positively correlated with the recognition of the value of authority over others. Conclusion: Respondents appraised the school environment highly as supportive of their autonomy. The sense of autonomy at school was higher in those respondents who positively evaluated compliance with the rules and lower in those who valued the exercise of authority over others.