A sociocultural perspective on the development of teacher autonomy: A case study of Saudi EFL novice teachers

Abstract

TA has been receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature of second language learning. This growing interest has been guided by Little’s premise (1995) that TA is a necessary condition for the successful promotion of autonomy among learners in the language learning classes. Thus, TA has become an increasingly debatable topic among scholars for its legitimacy and importance to teachers’ professionalism or the successful promotion of autonomy among language learners. Many attempts have been made to define TA, which focused on the assumed link between TA and LA. McGrath (2000) and Smith (2003) from the standpoint of the teacher educators have attempted to define TA without focusing on its possible link to LA. They also attempted to explore TA development among student teachers. In their action research studies, they designed MA programs to enhance student teachers’ capacity to control the teaching processes (e.g., McGrath, 2000; Smith, 2002). Arguably, however, there is a need to gather empirical data that would inform theory with insights on, how TA develops “naturally” (McGrath, 2000), among novice teachers in a context where they receive no in-service training or support from mentors to develop TA. There is also a need to explore the possible impact of novice teachers’ evolving TPI on the capacity to control the teaching process. This multiple case study addresses these research gaps. It aims to qualitatively investigate the development of novice the teachers’ capacity to control the teaching process in an educational context where there were no teacher education programs to enhance TA. It also explores the possible impact TPI has on this phenomenon. This study’s findings showcase the complexity and overlapping nature of TA and TPI development among novice EFL teachers. It also shows the idiosyncratic development of TA among novice EFL teachers in their first year of teaching.