Many educational professionals, place heavy emphasis on the importance of being an empowered teacher. However, the concept of empowerment can seem abstract and its meaning in relation to education is sometimes unclear. Defining exactly what is meant by statements ,empowers teachers’ is vital to maximizing their impact on the field and illustrating how teachers can become empowered.
Dictionary definitions of empowerment generally distinguish between empowerment as “to give power or authority to, especially by legal means” and empowerment as “to enable or permit”.
Empowerment seems to be strongly correlated with task motivation. A empirical study by Dee et al, (2003) based on Spreitzer’s definition of empowerment demonstrated that empowered teachers showed higher levels of organizational commitment. The “meaning”, “self-determination”, and “impact” dimensions, and the total empowerment score had positive effects on teachers’ level of commitment to the school. Therefore one can claim that in order to engage teachers in pedagogical reform one must give them some control over their own work and let them influence the reform process. “ Empowered teachers with increased task motivation, enhanced feelings of meaning, and strong organizational commitment.
Being an empowered teacher means having enough resources and freedom to provide every student with the education that they deserve, having access to information and materials and being free to use these resources in a way thatmeets student needs and targets. Empowered teachers are given the encouragement and support necessary to take risks and engage in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) while collaborating with their colleagues, and this process is essential to success in education.
The importance of empowerment is also illustrated by its role in increasing teacher motivation, improving problem-solving skills, and teaching students to become empowered, all of which are vital to improving learning outcomes for every student.
Understanding what it means to be empowered will allow teachers to take the first step towards achieving this goal.
By: Mrs. Gina A. Torres | Teacher III | Sto. Niño Biaan Elementary School | Mariveles, Bataan
