The Relationship between Leadership Behaviors and Learner Autonomy Support Behaviors of Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this research study is to determine the relationship between leadership behaviors and learner autonomy support behaviors of primary and secondary education teachers. The study was designed in the survey model. The sample of the study was comprised of 338 teachers working in the province of Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, who were selected by using disproportionate cluster sampling technique. Data were collected through Teacher Leadership Scale' and 'Learner Autonomy Support Behaviors' Scale. The Teacher Leadership Scale consists of three subscales, which are collaboration among colleagues, institutional improvement, and professional improvement. The Learner Autonomy Support Scale consists of three sub-dimensions, which are feeling and thinking support, learning process support and evaluation support. Both scales reveal the views of teachers concerning the necessity and exhibition of their behaviors. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Based on the findings, teachers' level of exhibiting leadership behaviors and learner autonomy support behaviors were higher than they considered such behaviors to be necessary. Teachers considered that, out of teacher leadership sub-dimensions, professional improvement was believed to be the highest for both necessity and exhibition parts. This sub-dimension was followed by the collaboration among colleagues, and institutional improvement. The feeling and thinking support sub-dimension of autonomy support was the one deemed to be the most necessary and the most exhibited. This was followed by learning process support and evaluation support. There were also significant relationships between teacher leadership and learner autonomy support behaviors of teachers. In the study, such recommendations as creating a democratic school atmosphere for increasing the teacher leadership and learner autonomy support behaviors of teachers, supporting personal growth efforts, encouraging the collaboration among colleagues, and enabling them to involve in decision-making processes have been presented.