Agency as collectivity: Community-based research for educational equity

ABSTRACT

In this article, we highlight the affordances of agency that is not merely individual, but rather emerges in and through collectivities. We take up these issues within the context of our own work in the field of sociocultural perspectives on literacy and through the methodological vantage point of community-based and participatory research. First, we define our key terms—agency and collectivity—in relationship to the theoretical orientations that have grounded our work. We then discuss research examples that speak to the ways student agency is enacted in the literacy curriculum, before turning our attention to collaborative and participatory projects that we believe hold promise for understanding how agency is realized in collectivities geared toward educational change and transformation. We conclude by returning to an example from our own project to spotlight what we believe is the value of a collective orientation to agency for learning in and out of schools.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional Resources

1. Anderson, D., Comay, J., Chiarotto, L. (2017). Natural curiosity 2^nd edition: A resource for educators: The importance of indigenous perspectives in children’s environmental inquiry. Toronto, CA: The Laboratory School at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Developed alongside Indigenous scholars as well as non-Indigenous teachers in Canada, this resource provides guidance for engaging in environmental inquiry with students. This text supports teachers to build learning engagements informed by principles of reciprocity, place, relationships, and indigenous knowledges. A response to recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada, this curricular framework is a step toward (re)centering non-dominant perspectives that value collectivity.

2. Christensen, L. (2017). Reading, writing, and rising up: Teaching about social justice and the power of the written word (2^nd ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Recently updated, this inspiring teaching guide spotlights emancipatory pedagogical practices and opportunities for social justice learning in classrooms. The book offers extensive resources –teaching tools, examples of student work, and strategies that bridge theory and practice – to inspire critical investigations in the curriculum. The first chapter specifically focuses on building solidarity and community within the classroom, helping educators cultivate contexts for collective inquiry and action.

3. Black Lives Matter at School Teaching Resources

https://blacklivesmatteratschool.com/teaching-materials/

Inspired by the social movement Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter at School started in 2016 when parents and educators in an elementary school in Seattle came together to celebrate Black students and foreground anti-racist teaching, and an individual responded with a bomb threat. Thousands of educators around the city responded in solidarity, which eventually led to Black Lives Matter at School Week, a national movement that has expanded to over 20 cities. This website contains a wealth of freely accessible lesson plans and curricular resources focused on BLM principles, from early childhood through post-secondary, that support families, youth, teachers, and community leaders in collectively working toward racial justice.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Research-Practice-Partnership Grant from the Spencer Foundation.