Rethinking the development of teacher autonomy: the heteronomy of teaching as a relational perspective on self-determined learning

Introduction Teacher education often promotes professional autonomy while assessing teachers' compliance with predefined competencies. However, less attention has been paid to the relational conditions that enable beginning teachers to develop independent professional judgment. This study examines how newly qualified teachers describe the relationships, institutional experiences, and learning practices that shape their professional development. It introduces teacher heteronomy as a conceptual perspective on how interaction with others contributes to the formation of autonomous pedagogical judgment. Methods The study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design within the Erasmus+ DigitalTA project (2023–2024). Data were collected through an online questionnaire completed by 327 teachers from Spain and 15 countries or territories in the Americas, and a focus group involving six early-career teachers in Spain. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while open-ended responses and focus-group discussions underwent inductive categorisation and thematic analysis. Findings from both sources were compared. Results Participants identified integration into teaching teams as their main expectation of school leadership (68.2%). Communication difficulties with colleagues (44.3%) and lack of confidence (44.0%) were common challenges. University studies (43.7%) and postgraduate education (41.3%) were frequently reported learning sources, while 30.9% highlighted learning in the workplace as a key source of professional development and self-evaluation was the most selected reflective strategy (72.8%). Pedagogical and socio-emotional competences were prominent priorities. Participants also called for more school-based practice, updated curricula, mentoring, and stronger professional support. Discussion The findings support a relational understanding of professional learning, highlighting the importance of colleagues, mentors, institutional experiences, and reflective practices in beginning teachers' development. The article proposes teacher heteronomy as a conceptual framework in which engagement with others contributes to autonomous professional judgment, rather than implying dependence or obedience. In dialogue with heutagogy, this perspective suggests strengthening initial teacher education through supervised placements, mentoring, collaborative inquiry, and opportunities for self-determined learning. Longitudinal research is needed to assess these relationships empirically.