Our aim in this study was to learn about teachers’ understanding and appreciation of their autonomy in the context of student's assessment. The study’s context was a reform in Israel’s national matriculation exams (declared in 2022), that involved transitioning from external state-governed examinations into school-based assessment. The reform triggered discussions and re-evaluation of teachers’ professional autonomy, and of assessment policy.  In this context we explored teachers' perceptions of the effect of assessment on professional autonomy. Furthermore, we broadened the scope of our study beyond the confines of the local reform, utilizing this specific case to draw more general insights regarding how teachers attribute significance to the professional conditions within which they work and how these conditions effect their sense of autonomy. We looked at the relation between autonomy in assessment, and autonomy in other aspects of teachers work. Furthermore, we studied the role of autonomy in the teachers' professional identity.

Our main research questions were: Which factors do the teachers acknowledge as contributing to their sense and preferences of autonomy? What are teachers' perceptions of the effect of assessment on their professional autonomy?

The theoretical framework of the study includes several types of literature.

First, we draw on a philosophical analysisof teachers’ freedom and responsibility, based on Existential philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre (1946/ 2017).  Teachers’ professional identity has been recognized as an extreme case of human destiny portrayed by Sartre (Author 1, 2022). While practicing the art of teaching (Schwab, 1983), teachers have a constant need to make choices in class, interpreting system’s regulations, practicing an inevitable autonomy, and exerting professional responsibility.

Secondly, we looked at current studies, and learned that teacher autonomy research mirrors trends in national and global education. Several studies indicate the favorable effects of teacher autonomy on teachers' perceived self-efficacy, work satisfaction, and empowerment, and on creating a positive work climate. They also show constraints on autonomy correlate with teacher turnover and the risk of emotional exhaustion, and burnout (Skaalvik & Skaalvik,2014).

Despite the recognition of the importance of teacher autonomy for job satisfaction (Juntunen, 2017), successful schools, and professional development (Wermke et al., 2019), there is less consensus on its definition (Pearson & Moomaw 2005). Autonomous teachers have a high control over daily practice issues (Wermke et al., 2019). Friedman’s scale for teacher-work autonomy (TWA 1999) includes four functioning areas pertinent to teachers’ sense of autonomy: class teaching, school operating, staff development, and curriculum development. In a re-evaluation of Friedman's scale (Strong & Yoshida, 2014), the number of autonomy areas grew to six and included assessment. In this paper we adopt Lennert-Da Silva’s (2022) definition which relates to the decision-making scope and control teachers have in relation to the national educational policy.

Thirdly, we read studies that look at autonomy in the context of student assessment and examine it as part of the larger theme of accountability.  In the context of marketization, schools’ decentralization places school leaders within a framework including bureaucratic regulations, discourses of competitive enterprise, and external public accountability measures, that are spreading worldwide (Hammersley-Fletcher et al., 2021; Verger et al., 2019).

External assessment is a central factor in accountability (Ben-Peretz, 2012). High-stakes accountability casts a shadow on teachers' professional practice (Clarke, 2012; Mausethagen & Granlund, 2012), and their everyday practice is constrained by external testing.(Ball, 2003, 2008a, 2008b). Focusing on assessment as one expression of accountability, studies discuss the tension between external testing and autonomy. State-controlled assessment is viewed as a shift away from teacher professionalism towards the adoption of teaching methods that erode teacher autonomy in9 curriculum development and instructional decision-making (Day & Smethem, 2009).

Drawing on existential philosophy and empirical literature on the connection between student assessment and teacher autonomy, we adopted a qualitative approach, and we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 teachers, who were selected from four diverse schools, to ensure a broad representation of student populations. For our data collection We employed a semi-structured interview format that began with general questions, giving the teachers an opportunity to freely express their perspectives on their autonomy. We aimed to ascertain whether teachers would refer to assessment processes and to the reform, as aspects of autonomy and factors in their general work experience before we asked them specifically about these topics. We asked: Do you like your work? What aspects contribute to your enjoyment in teaching? What factors disturb you or minimize your satisfaction? Do you feel free at work? The subsequent phase of the interview centered on the matriculation reform, exploring whether teachers had perceived alterations to their level of autonomy. We used questions like: How do you usually evaluate your students? What is your opinion about the reform in the matriculation examinations? The interviews lasted one and a half hours, on average. They were conducted face to face, recorded, and later transcribed. To analyze our data, we utilized inductive qualitative content analysis methodology (Cho & Lee 2014), We conducted open coding of the data, asking questions such as: What do the teachers' responses reveal about their views about the ‘is’ and the ‘ought’ of their professional autonomy? Do they see a difference between internal assessment (INA) and external assessment (EXA) as factors influencing their autonomy? This procedure resulted in preliminary categories. Next, we explored the data to identify commonalities, disparities, complementarities, and interconnections among the teachers, while also considering their individual characteristics. To ensure trustworthiness, the categories obtained from this procedure were abstracted by each researcher individually. We then compared notes and agreed on the final categorization scheme. The overarching categories addressing the two research questions relate to professional circumstances: the national education system and the school in which each teacher works. As informed by inductive data analysis methodology, the analysis process also revealed professional qualities that influence teachers' view of autonomy. These were specifically identified by the teachers in the interviews and included professional confidence and a sense of purpose. The final categorial scheme is concerned not only with the individual categories but more significantly with their arrangement and interplay.

Overall, our analysis shows that teachers' sense and preference of autonomy, as expressed in their response to the matriculation reform, stemmed from personal subjective interpretation of the objective circumstances of their professional environment. Despite diverse attitudes, the majority of teachers express a preference for autonomy, especially in assessment. Given the global teacher shortage and challenges in retaining high-quality teachers (García et al., 2022; Guthery & Bailes, 2022), recognizing that external assessments constrain teachers' experienced autonomy has significant implications for policymakers deciding on state assessments. The teachers highlighted the significance of two elements shaping their professional experience, and determining the degree of autonomy they have: the national education system and the school. They referred to assessment as a clear example of the complex interplay between those two elements; However, the teachers emphasized a holistic approach to autonomy, in which assessment cannot stand alone. For them, autonomy included curricular planning and assessment design together. Moreover, teachers’ appreciation of their autonomy is inspired by two professional qualities: confidence and a sense of purpose. This conclusion, regarding the relationship between teachers’ confidence, sense of purpose, and their views about autonomy, bares important conclusion for teacher professional learning and development, as well as for teacher education. We recognize the need for further elaboration of this conclusion, designing ways to enhance and promote these professional qualities as part of the shaping of professional identity of novice teachers, as well as that of experienced teachers .

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