Abstract

• The focus of this study is to study the relationship between teachers’ work-autonomy and their professional competences at Basic Education High Schools in Tamwe Township, Yangon Region. The specific aims are to investigate teachers’ work-autonomy, to investigate their professional competences and to study the relationship between teachers’ work-autonomy and their professional competences. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. The participants of this study consisted of 150 teachers. Instrument was reviewed by a panel of experts. The Cronbach’s alpha of the whole scale of teachers’ work-autonomy and their professional competences was 0.82. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and independent samples t test were used to analyze the data in this study. The result found mean value of teachers’ work-autonomy was 2.99. So, the level of teachers’ work-autonomy was moderate level. Mean value of their professional competences was 3.04. The level of their professional competences was moderate level. Therewere strong correlation between teachers’ work-autonomy and their professional competences r=.649. It was found that there were statistically significant and positive relationship teachers’ work-autonomy and their professional competences. This research suggests that one way to increase teachers’ level of professional competences by enhancing teachers’ degree of autonomy at schools. School principals should consider decentralizing the power of decision making at school and accommodate teachers to participate autonomously in school activities both in the classroom area and the school wide area.