Professional agency and its features in supporting teachers’ learning during an in-service education programme

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that professional agency is pivotal for understanding teachers’ professional learning in different contexts. However, we lack an elaborated understanding of teachers’ professional agency in the context of in-service teacher education aimed at supporting teachers’ professional learning. To contribute to this discussion, this study investigated primary school teachers’ professional agency during in-service education and the features related to the emergence of their agency. The findings show that teachers enacted professional agency regarding their professional identity and work in various ways, suggesting that the roles of different social scaffoldings for professional agency varied. The teachers viewed pedagogical hands-on practice with colleagues’ support as especially meaningful. However, transferring learning to classroom practices depends on the teacher’s professional agency in identity renegotiation. Therefore, this study highlights the need for continuous, practice-based scaffolding that supports teachers’ agency – and accordingly professional learning – if we wish to enhance the efficiency of in-service education.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional agency
• in-service teacher education programme
• narrative analysis
• L1 and literature
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Merja Kauppinen

Merja Kauppinen, PhD, is a lecturer at the Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä. She works in pre- and in-service education concerning both primary school teachers and subject teachers. Her research intrests are reading and writing literacy, literature education, and beliefs of teachers.

Johanna Kainulainen

Johanna Kainulainen is a university teacher at the Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä. She works in pre- and in-service education concerning primary school, special needs teachers and subject teachers. Her research intrests are assessment literacy and practicies, digital learning and assessment, agency, school cultures and future school.

Päivi Hökkä

Päivi Hökkä, PhD, works as a senior researcher at the Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä.  She currently leads TUNTO-project, which explores emotional agency in organizational change. She has recently conducted research and published articles on professional agency and identity, teacher education, emotions at work, and leadership in education. Her publications include articles e.g. in Journal of Teacher Education, International Journal of Educational Leadership, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Vocations and Learning.

Katja Vähäsantanen

Katja Vähäsantanen, PhD, is a university researcher at the Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her current research and teaching interests lie in the areas of professional identity, agency, learning, and emotions in work organisations. Her recent publications include articles in Vocations and Learning, Teaching and Teacher Education, Professional Development in Education, and Educational Research Review.