Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions and Reported Enactment of Autonomy From Prescribed Pacing Guides

Pacing guides are commonplace yet controversial in American public schools. For teachers who question their usefulness, one means to circumvent them is to exercise autonomy in pedagogical decision-making, though doing so comes with challenges. Through interviews, we examined how 87 gifted and general education 4th and 5th grade math and reading/language arts teachers in one large, diverse public school district expressed their autonomy and reported enacting it in their classrooms. Findings indicated teachers’ perceptions of autonomy differed, and their reported pacing guide deviations also differed accordingly. We discuss implications for those in environments where use of pacing guides is mandated.