Teachers' agency in using teaching and learning resources (TLRs) like teachers' guides and learners' textbooks is crucial for developing countries to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG4) of education quality. I analysed 29 lesson plans and interview data from 6 grade 2 teachers from two schools to examine factors that influence their agency in using TLRs to design lessons on addition. The findings reveal a pattern of teaching and learning of mathematics that happen in Malawian primary schools as a result of lack of agency. These include ministry of education's and teacher education's directive on use of TLRs, teachers' experience and teachers' knowledge. Implying that achieving the SDG4 of education quality requires more teacher agency, a practice determined by the quality of both teacher education and TLRs.