Where to from here: Fostering agency across landscapes

ABSTRACT

This culminating article synthesizes the collection of articles to discuss conceptualizations of student agency across contexts. Themes that exist across the collection of articles include agency as multidimensional, agency as a navigational tool, and agency as advocacy. In this concluding article, ideas from across the articles are presented to define and describe student agency and identify the benefits that come from agency in schools. A focus is examining where to from here with implications for educators, administrators, teacher educators, researchers, and policy makers on ways to cultivate student agency in classrooms today.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional Resources

1. Charteris, J., & Smardon, D. (2018). A typology of agency in new generation learning environments: emerging relational, ecological and new material considerations. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 26, 51–68.

This article explores learner agency across theoretical orientations with a focus on what agency means in relation to current educational contexts. Theoretical orientations discussed include: sovereign agency of self-determination theory, relational agency that is linked to sociocultural theory, ecological agency which the authors highlight is embedded within social engagement theories.

2. Manyukhina, Y., & Wyse, D. (2019). Learner agency and the curriculum: a critical realistperspective. The Curriculum Journal, 30 (3), 223–243.

In this article, scholars highlight various dimensions of classroom learning contexts and the relationship of learning contexts to student agency. Three types of learning contexts and curricula are examined including: knowledge-based, skills-oriented, and learner-centered. The authors highlight the potential of learner agency as a key orientation in the curriculum and provide insight into future directions on curricula that fosters student agency.

3. Wall, A., Massey, D., & Vaughn, M. (2018). Research summary: Student agency. Retrieved [8/1/2019] from http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/artmid/888/articleid/995/Student-Agency.aspx

This research summary provides a variety of perspectives of student agency aimed at exploring how middle school educators can understand and apply agency in their practice. The authors describe conceptualizations of agency and address what agency means for young adolescents so that educators can apply ideas of agency to classroom practice.