The authors provide in this study a paradigm for the systematic investigation of autonomy in education by reviewing the thinking and research on autonomy in philosophy, education, and psychology, all of which define, analyze and value autonomy in different ways. Significant issues surrounding autonomy and strategies for dealing with them are considered in order to help in developing an approach for examining autonomy in an educational setting. The investigation involves three phases: the first focuses on the environment and results in the generation of a list of behavioral opportunities for student autonomy to exist. The second focuses on the student and results in an estimation of individual differences with respect to the utilization of these opportunities. The final phase utilizes both environmental and student information and results in the development of situation-related measures of student autonomy. These measurement techniques are examined critically in order to delineate the constraints that instrumentation places on the subject. Finally, a schema for clarifying and limiting investigation is presented. An extensive bibliography is included. (Author/MJB)