Factors affecting the management of teachers’ professional activities in upper secondary schools toward professional autonomy in Vietnam
Keywords:
educational management, professional autonomy, professional development, school leadership, teacher professional activities, upper secondary schools, VietnamAbstract
This study examines the factors affecting the management of teachers’ professional activities toward professional autonomy in upper secondary schools in Vietnam. In the context of ongoing educational reform, competency-based education, and school decentralization, professional autonomy has become an important requirement for enhancing teachers’ professional agency, instructional innovation, and educational quality. The study employed a qualitative document analysis approach to review Vietnamese educational policies, legal documents, and international studies related to teacher autonomy, school leadership, organizational culture, and professional development. The findings reveal that the management of teachers’ professional activities is influenced by two major groups of factors: objective factors and subjective factors. Objective factors include institutional frameworks, educational policies, financial mechanisms, and socio-cultural conditions, while subjective factors involve teachers’ professional competence and motivation, school leadership, organizational culture, and professional development support systems. The study also highlights that school-level conditions play a mediating role in connecting educational reforms with teachers’ professional practices. In the Vietnamese context, promoting professional autonomy requires not only supportive policies but also democratic leadership, collaborative school cultures, equitable professional development opportunities, and balanced accountability mechanisms.
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