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Teacher Agency: An Ecological Approach to Understanding Teachers' Work and Development

Caleb Carter

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Published in Teacher Agency: An Ecological Approach

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Teachers are complex individuals who work in complex environments. To understand how teachers learn and grow, it is important to consider the multiple factors that influence their work. This article explores the concept of teacher agency through an ecological approach, which examines the complex interplay between individual teachers, their school environments, and the broader social and cultural context in which they work.

Teacher Agency: An Ecological Approach

by Miranda Bridges

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	691 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	211 pages

What is Teacher Agency?

Teacher agency is the capacity of teachers to make decisions and take actions that affect their own professional development and the teaching and learning process. It is a complex concept that encompasses both individual and collective dimensions. Individual teacher agency refers to the ability of individual teachers to exercise their own autonomy and make choices about their work. Collective teacher agency refers to the ability of teachers to work together to create a more supportive and empowering school environment.

The Ecological Approach to Teacher Agency

The ecological approach to teacher agency views teachers as agents who are both shaped by and shapers of their own professional development. This approach emphasizes the importance of considering the multiple factors that influence teachers' work, including their individual characteristics, the school environment, and the broader social and cultural context.

The ecological approach to teacher agency has several key features. First, it recognizes that teachers are complex individuals with their own unique beliefs, values, and experiences. Second, it emphasizes the importance of the school environment in shaping teachers' work. Third, it acknowledges the role of the broader social and cultural context in influencing teachers' agency.

Implications for Improving Teaching and Learning

The ecological approach to teacher agency has several implications for improving teaching and learning. First, it suggests that it is important to create supportive school environments that empower teachers to make decisions and take actions that improve their own professional development and the teaching and learning process. Second, it highlights the need to provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate with each other and to learn from each other. Third, it emphasizes the importance of considering the broader social and cultural context in which teachers work.

The ecological approach to teacher agency provides a more nuanced and holistic understanding of teacher agency and its implications for improving teaching and learning. By considering teachers as agents who are both shaped by and shapers of their own professional development, this approach can help us to create more supportive school environments that empower teachers to be effective change agents.

Teacher Agency: An Ecological Approach

by Miranda Bridges

4.8 out of 5