Relationships between external accountability, internal accountability, teacher sense of autonomy, and teaching experiences: a moderated mediation analysis

A teacher’s sense of autonomy is often perceived as restricted by accountability, but the interplay between its external and internal forms and how it is influenced by teaching experience remain unexplored. Framed by labor process theory, this study investigates the relationships among external and internal accountability, teachers’ sense of autonomy, and years of teaching experience in the Chinese context. A survey was administered to 349 primary and secondary school teachers in mainland China. The results challenge and refine traditional assumptions of labor process theory by demonstrating that external accountability can be positively associated with teachers’ sense of autonomy through the mediating role of internal accountability and that this process is nuanced by teachers’ career stages. This study highlights the complexity of accountability regimes and the importance of considering teachers’ internal drive and professional experience in understanding their sense of autonomy.