Autonomy is understood as the "capacity of an entity to give its own order, to be its own owner and to enjoy free will, capable of expressing itself in a way of life that is born of oneself". In other words, autonomy is the capacity of an individual to self-govern, that is, to decide, make a determination, resolve doubts, reach a resolution, without the opinion or permission of third parties.
From an educational perspective, the faculty of self-government means that the person has reached such a degree of maturity, that he knows how to behave in life by himself, without the need to turn to others at all times due to insecurity, for the convenience of receiving all elaborate and clearly defined, or because no one has guided you to solve your problems with your own resources.
But autonomy is not a faculty that is achieved in one go. It is under permanent construction and goes from a “heteronomy, an eminently adaptive or reproductive morality, which is built from the moral guidelines of society, permanently incorporating socio-cultural elements, to the real autonomy of consciousness that allows, depending on said elements, develop clearly personal and original ethical projects ".
Teaching autonomy must be understood as the emancipation of ideological dependencies, of the limitations imposed on daily practice, the critical analysis of social demands. Denying the autonomy of teachers goes against educational quality and equity, since it is the teacher who faces certain situations in the classroom on a daily basis, in a unique context, and it is he who must decide, on what and how to teach.
In the reflective professional model, autonomy appears as a responsibility, considering the different criteria. The trial professional reflective deliberative conversation and quest for understanding, without a fixed pattern comes after action. Autonomy arises in the context of teacher- student and teacher relationships. In this sense, Keller says, it is not a state of separation, but a dynamic relationship.
Autonomy must be understood as the emancipation of ideological dependencies, of the limitations imposed on daily practice, the critical analysis of social demands.
We can conclude that the need for teaching autonomy arises from the social demand for the need to create a social space of criticism and avoid progressive control for the defense of certain democratic social values. The teacher must accept the content, because he cannot teach anything, which would not allow students to pass schools or even courses, but he can adapt them to the needs of his group and democratically decide pedagogical strategies that suit that particular group. Autonomy requires a high degree of responsibility and social commitment.
