Data on teachers' opinions about their influence over school policies and the control that they have over their classrooms can contribute to current debates on teacher professionalism.
More teachers perceive that they have control over classroom policies than over school policies.
Public and private secondary teachers were more likely than elementary teachers to perceive having a good deal of control over some classroom decisions, such as selecting textbooks, determining the content, topics, and skills to be taught, and selecting teaching techniques. Elementary school teachers perceived having more control over decisions concerning disciplining students and determining the content of in-service programs. Private school principals were more likely than public school principals to perceive that teachers had a good deal of influence over establishing curriculum, while public school principals were more likely to perceive that teachers had a good deal of influence over determining the content of in-service programs.