Levels of autonomy and responsibilities of teachers in Europe

This study examines the curricular autonomy of schools and teachers in primary and lower secondary education in 30 European countries. It thus supplements the study on the autonomy of schools in the management of human and financial resources. Among the issues addressed are the underlying causes and impact of the reforms that have occurred over the last 20 years, and the autonomy of teachers vis-à-vis the curriculum, teaching methods and pupil assessment. Contractual definitions of the working time of teachers and the tasks they are required to perform are examined, along with the organisation of continuous professional development and ways in which teachers are contributing to reforms and educational innovation. The study also considers methods of evaluating teachers.