Design and Validation of an Instrument for Identifying School Autonomy as a Dimension of Teacher Motivation in Secondary Education: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70554/OBJK2026.v02n01.01

Keywords:

Personal autonomy, Motivation, Teachers, Secondary Schools

Abstract

Teacher motivation influences educational quality and teachers’ well-being. Among the institutional factors associated with it, school autonomy occupies a relevant place. This study focused on identifying school autonomy for the teaching motivation of secondary school teachers. It was a quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study in secondary education institutions. A self-administered questionnaire with Likert-type items was administered, with content validity determined by expert judgment and construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis for ordinal data; reliability was estimated with omega and alpha coefficients. The analysis included descriptive statistics and classification using predefined scales for the school autonomy dimension. The aggregate pattern showed "operational" autonomy, with concentrations in intermediate categories and low variability. Autonomy was sufficient for planning, adjusting methodologies, and taking responsibility for daily work, but more limited in larger-scale curricular and organizational decisions. The homogeneity suggested shared institutional arrangements that standardize its scope. The identified school autonomy was at medium and stable levels, compatible with sustained functioning but with room for improvement to promote self-determined motivation.

Author Biographies

Carlos Alberto Severiche Sierra, Corporación Unificada Nacional de Educación Superior

Holds a Postdoctoral degree in Hermeneutics and Scientific Interpretation and a PhD in Sciences (Management). He also holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development and Environment, as well as postgraduate specializations in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering and Occupational Health and Safety, and a degree in Chemistry. He is classified as a Senior Researcher by MinCiencias (Colombia) and has accumulated approximately 2,500 citations in Google Scholar. He serves as a peer reviewer of research projects for the Colombian Observatory of Science and Technology (OCYT) and the Colombian Association for the Advancement of Science (ACAC), and is the Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Caribbean Journal of Management Systems. He has more than 14 years of experience in the productive sector and in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, both in face-to-face and distance education modalities. He also serves as an academic peer reviewer for the verification of quality conditions for academic program accreditation for the Ministry of Education. He is certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt by the Six Sigma Institute and the University of Celaya.

Diego Orlando Maldonado Marín, Universidad Metropolitana de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología

Is an educator, researcher, and doctoral candidate in Educational Sciences with an emphasis on research, evaluation, and educational project formulation at the Universidad Metropolitana de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología (UMECIT), Panama. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Innovation from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a specialization in Plurilingual Education from the Universidad Central del Ecuador. His research focuses on teacher motivation, burnout syndrome, teacher well-being, and organizational factors influencing educational quality in secondary education. His work integrates perspectives from educational psychology, organizational studies, and educational management to analyze the impact of professional exhaustion on teaching performance and institutional dynamics. He has experience in curriculum development, educational innovation, and the design and psychometric validation of research instruments applied to educational contexts. His scientific work contributes to the understanding of teacher burnout and motivational processes in Latin American educational systems, promoting evidence-based strategies that support teacher well-being and sustainable educational improvement.

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Published

2026-03-24

How to Cite

Severiche Sierra, C. A., & Maldonado Marín, D. O. (2026). Design and Validation of an Instrument for Identifying School Autonomy as a Dimension of Teacher Motivation in Secondary Education: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. OnBoard Knowledge Journal, 2(01), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.70554/OBJK2026.v02n01.01

Issue

Vol. 2 Issue. 01 (2026)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Carlos Alberto Severiche Sierra, Diego Orlando Maldonado Marín

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