Elementary teachers’ agency: the role of perceived professional space and autonomy

Nguyen, Phi; Webel, Corey; Yeo, Sheunghyun; Zhao, Wenmin

doi:10.1080/00220272.2022.2081821

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…Drawing on Gee [51] (2019), we use big "D" Discourse to signify the ways in which the language, actions, interactions, objects, tools, technologies, beliefs, and values relate to accountability in schools, position teachers and students in particular ways and subscribe particular identities upon them. Within the Discourse of accountability in education, neoliberalism impacts how teachers perceive both their autonomy and agency [52][53][54]. Teacher autonomy is defined as teachers' capacity and freedom to take control of and responsibility for their own teaching practice and reflection [55,56].…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The teachers exercised agency through making curricular decisions. However, in a mixed-method study involving elementary teachers who taught math in the United States, Nguyen et al [54] found that there was a positive correlation between teacher autonomy and teachers' perception of professional space afforded by the state. The latter then acted as a mediator for teacher agency.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Centering Teacher Expertise, Needs, and Wellbeing in In-Service Teacher Education: A Post/COVID-19 Study

Napitupulu,

Easterling,

Hamm

et al. 2023

Education Sciences

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This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teachers during COVID-19. From 2020–2023, the authors facilitated comprehensive literacy professional learning with in-service teachers from 40 schools in the Midwest U.S. Our work aimed to center teachers as experts and be responsive to teachers’ social, emotional, and professional needs. Drawing on framework for adaptability, we analyzed formative assessments, interview transcripts, and written reflections to understand teachers’ perspectives on professional learning and their praxis during COVID-19. Data revealed that participants perceived an increased need for professional learning on differentiation and focus on growth and joy. Against the backdrop of a neoliberal fixation on teacher accountability that increases stress among teachers on top of a traumatic global pandemic, we attempted to center teachers as experts and attend to teachers’ socioemotional needs by offering flexible pathways with online options and offering in-person sessions for cultivating community. Future research on teacher education for in-service teachers can provide greater insight into teacher perceptions of their professional learning needs post/COVID-19, as well as how we center teachers as knowledgeable professionals in order to challenge hierarchical power structures and deficit discourses in ways that promote their professional, social, and emotional wellbeing.

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