Voice, Choice & Ownership

As adults we expect to be taken seriously, and work best when we feel we are being respected for our opinions, thoughts and decisions. Why should this be different for students?

Involving students in decision making which, traditionally, was only done by the teacher helps them to feel like they have a voice. Encouraging them to give opinions about, and put forward solutions, to issues within classroom routines, makes students feel valued and helps them to feel they have more control over their lives.

As we adults do, students thrive in an environment where they feel they are trusted to make decisions and to choose their learning path. Providing Agency to students increases their sense of ownership and ability to make good personal choices.

Learner and Teacher Agency PD 2021

Further reading

Learner Agency

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

Charteris, J., & Smardon, D. (2019). Democratic contribution or information for reform? Prevailing and emerging discourses of student voice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(6), 1-18.

Hase, S., & Blaschke, L. M. (2021). Unleashing the Power of Learner Agency.

Teacher Agency

Miller, A. L., Wilt, C. L., Allcock, H. C., Kurth, J. A., Morningstar, M. E., & Ruppar, A. L. (2020). Teacher agency for inclusive education: an international scoping review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-19.

Wagner, C. J., Parra, M. O., & Proctor, C. P. (2019). Teacher agency in a multiyear professional development collaborative. English Teaching: Practice & Critique.

Farmasari, S. (2021, May). Understanding Teacher Agency in Practice: An Ecological Approach. In 2nd Annual Conference on Education and Social Science (ACCESS 2020) (pp. 224-229). Atlantis Press.

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2021 © K. Lottkowitz