The purpose of this study was to critically review on the trends of research about teachers' empowerment. For this, related research literatures that conducted in America and Korea were investigated. Teachers' empowerment emerged as a product of educational reform activities that began in the early 1980s in America. It was seen as a substantial factor to improve or reform school. Empowered teachers believe they have the skills and knowledge to raise the school efficiency and effectiveness. From this viewpoint, empowerment researchers have devoted their attention primarily to define the concept of teacher empowerment and its components. And their attention secondly to examine the relationships between school principals' leadership and teachers' empowerment, and the effect of the result of teachers' empowerment. Similarly, this research trends are same seen in Korea. Critical review was focused on the researches that the relationships between principals' leadership and teacher empowerment, the relationships teachers' empowerment and their participation in decision-making, teacher commitment, students achievement, and school culture. The results of this study showed that the basis of teacher' empowerment research are necessary to expand in Korea. The viewpoints of define the concept about teacher empowerment and its components are limited. For those reasons broaden concept and multi-level components, which related school characteristics must be installed in the future study. It is also necessary to change research method from the quantitative to the qualitative. Tools of survey that considered Korean teacher and school characteristics must be developed. Finally, teacher-training program that contain the skills, techniques, strategies of empowering method shall be designed and implemented.