Teacher agency: perspectives and limits

Abstract

Although many of the elements of the concept of teacher-agency have been present in Italian-language scientific debate for some time, the related international literature appears to be wholly refocusing its reflections to critically analyse the figure of the teacher in substantially new terms: according to a precious perspective in the light of the current opening to new areas of development of both initial and lifelong in-service teacher training. This paper, that discussed and referred to 17 articles on the issue of agency in teachers’ professional learning and development by selecting of the international literature, is divided into two parts. The first offers a pedagogical understanding of agency within a continuum in which this term can be interpreted in problematic way both as a teacher’s individual and collective characteristic and as a collective relational process. The second part, instead, reflects on teacher agency considering the interactions of this construct with individual and collective professional development and the school and community system as a whole.