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This volume reviews the theory and research on teacher agency to critique and substantiate the common claims in literature that teachers can and do act as change agents. Focusing on the interplay between teacher agency and its structural conditions, the book considers wider social and institutional contexts that shape educators practice. Its chapters consider the developmental aspects of teacher agency such as a sense of purpose and competence in inclusive practice, and their embeddedness in the policy and social contexts that create conditions for agency and reflection. Current research evidence is synthesized to highlight the critical factors such as relationships and community-building, as well as practical applications that support educators in cultivating these capacities. In doing so, the volume both affirms and scrutinizes prevailing assumptions about teacher agency. It offers empirically grounded insights, tools, and resources relevant to researchers, teacher educators, practitioners, and policy makers committed to empowering teachers as transformative professionals.
List of contents
Teacher agency theoretical perspectives.- Change agency and teacher development.- Why competence is not enough.- Policy contexts and teacher agency for inclusion in India and Sweden.- Teacher Agency for Inclusion: Experiences of Chilean Teachers.- Relational teacher agency.- Tool for tracking Teacher Reflection on Agency for Change log.- Agents of Change Toolkit for supporting change agency in schools.
About the author
Nataša Pantić is a Professor of Educational Change and Diversity at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and a fellow at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her recent research focused on teacher agency and collaboration in the contexts of educational and social change. She has published in the field’s leading journals, taught on teacher education and postgraduate courses, and led consultancies for international organizations.
