This short article is a response to the reading wars currently engaging attention in the popular press and among school districts, parents, and teachers. It attempts to portray the variety and the nuances of teaching reading pedagogy in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach focused either on phonics or on whole language. It further encourages…

This study adopts bibliometric analysis to examine the development of teacher agency studies from 1995 to 2023. A total of 346 publications were retrieved from the Social Science Citation Index and Arts & Humanities Citation Index and analyzed using VOSviewer software. The results indicate that research on teacher agency has undergone three…

This psychoanalytically and philosophically informed article sets its focus on one of the emerging challenges that comes with the notion of labourfication and solutionism when it frames teacher education. Teacher educators' agency, including their poetic freedom to think critically and act as public intellectuals, has become limited by neoliberal…

Our study focused on the leadership strategies of Estonian and Finnish principals aimed at encouraging teachers to participate in school development. We also looked at context-bound factors that form the framework within which principals discuss their work regarding (1) creating a shared vision, (2) implementing shared leadership practices, (3)…

The teaching profession has been increasingly subjected to a managerialist perspective of professionalism. Concurrently, neoliberal strategies redefine the nature of teachers' work, constrain teachers' agency and jeopardise their professional identities. In light of escalating bureaucratic pressures and diminishing professional autonomy, the…

Despite the increasing need for creativity in rapidly evolving markets and work environments, not all employees are able to engage in this crucial behavior at work. The interactionist perspective suggests that creativity in organizations can be predicted by the interplay of individual and situational elements. With this theoretical framework, the…

The concept of agency has become widely used in education, social sciences, psychology, and more. This article explores the concept of agency and provides a critical review from two main bodies of work: The social cognitive theory and the structure agency theory. The two are not the same. Structure agency theory was used to illuminate agency from…

Technology education internationally has for some time struggled to achieve continuity between what is depicted in policy and curricular documents and the reality of day-to-day practices. With its focus often articulated through the nature of activity students are to engage with, technology teachers are recognised as having significant autonomy in…

This paper examines teachers' views about the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Certification 2.0 Modular Model (CMM 2.0). The research reveals teachers' voices and agency in relation to HALT certification. Participants in this study included HALT certified teachers, current HALT participants, and prospective participants. The…

This study examines the relationship between teacher agency, autonomy, and teacher attrition and shortage challenges in U.S. K-12 education. Utilizing a quantitative approach, a survey was carried out to 200 teachers in Iowa, achieving a 52% response rate. Findings indicate a positive correlation between teacher empowerment and reduced attrition…

The focus of this article is on how the relative autonomy of middle managers is expressed in the context of local education administrations. In the Swedish education system, middle managers often constitute the link between principals at schools and local government education administrators. Little is known about what such middle managers do and…

This paper studies when decentralization improves public service delivery. I analyze a Chicago reform that awarded select principals greater autonomy over budgets and operations while holding resources largely unchanged. A meta-analysis of similar reforms shows substantial heterogeneity, including both positive and negative effects. Building on…

Education reform requires the commitment and investment of teachers if it is to succeed. Recognising the importance of teacher engagement, some countries have made teacher agency a feature of their curricula. Wales has embraced the notion of teacher agency within the building of its new curriculum by creating a body of Pioneer teachers to shape…

Decisions about assessment are often built on myths about teacher professional judgment and subjectivity that prioritize standardized assessment over classroom assessment. Ken O'Connor and Matt Townsley discuss some of the most common myths and explain how to dispel them by developing clear guidelines in which teachers can exercise their judgment,…

Purpose: Teachers unions in the United States are increasingly taking up issues of equity and justice. While there is a growing and robust body of scholarship on leading for equity, unions are rarely included as sources of education leadership. This creates an opportunity to not only consider unions in these equity efforts, but also re-shape our…