Teacher agency in professional development programmes – A case study of professional development material and collegial discussion

This article offers insight into teacher agency in professional development programmes, focusing on a national policy initiative in Sweden aiming to provide in-depth professional development for mathematics teachers. Data was produced from video observations from two collegial discussions with one group of teachers, during the professional development programme. We closely analyse forms of agency in the collegial discussions in relation to the affordances of the professional development materials. The analysis shows a complex relationship between possibilities for independent judgement as constructed in curriculum materials, teachers' agency, and the coach's role in collegial discussions. Contrary to previous research, the findings indicate that opportunities for facilitating enactment in professional development materials do not necessarily lead to teacher agency. The results of the study are discussed in relation to the Swedish educational context.
Source: Learning, Culture and Social Interaction - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research