Teachers’ appreciation of autonomy as a personal interpretation of professional reality

This qualitative study examined teachers' perspectives on their autonomy in relation to the role of student assessment, in light of a recent reform in Israel's national matriculation exams. Drawing on existential philosophy and existing literature on the connection between student assessment and teacher autonomy, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 teachers in diverse educational contexts. Our findings suggest teachers' appreciation of autonomy is influenced by their personal interpretations of the professional environment. Two personal qualities, professional confidence and sense of purpose, seem to be significant factors impacting autonomy and are aligned with existential concepts of courage, commitment, and authenticity.