The Interrelation Between Teachers' Professional Agency and Perceived Personal Recognition in a Five-Year Follow-Up Study

• In Event: 47.077 - Teacher Agency as a Complex and Emergent Phenomenon: International Perspectives

Abstract

1. Objectives or purposes
The study aims to gain a better understanding on the interrelations between teachers’ professional agency in professional community and perceived personal recognition, and how these evolve over a period of five years.
2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
Active and intentional learning, as opposed to only adapting to prevailing conditions, requires the opportunity to benefit from the support and shared knowledge of the professional community. It has been proposed that active teacher learning is a product of teacher’s sense of professional agency. Our prior results show that teachers’ professional agency consists of interrelated elements of motivation, efficacy beliefs and intentional strategies for facilitating and managing new learning in everyday work. Teachers’ sense of professional agency in professional community (TPAPC) refers to teachers’ opportunities and capacity to utilize collective resources. We have previously found out that teachers professional agency in professional community includes transformative orientation to pedagogical practice (PRAC), collective efficacy (CE) and positive interdependency (INT), relying on mutual agreements (AGR) and help when needed (HLP). The dynamics between teachers and their work environment can be portrayed with the concept of personal recognition (RECG), referring to professional community holding individual teachers (and their opinions) in high regard and providing encouragement and support.
3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
The data were collected employing a Teachers’ Professional Agency Survey. Two scales for measuring teachers’ a) professional agency in professional community (15 items) and b) personal recognition (3 items) were utilized. The data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM).
4. Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials
A cohort of Finnish comprehensive school in-service teachers were selected as participants of the longitudinal study by employing probability sampling method (N=6000). The longitudinal survey data were collected in 2011 and 2016. A total of 1478 teachers (primary n= 527; 64,7%, subject n=465; 63,8%, special education n=486; 63,9%) of the original 2310 teacher cohort completed the survey (response rate 64%).
5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view
Overall, the results showed that Finnish teachers reported high levels of sense of professional agency at both time points. The tested model confirmed the five elements of TPAPC (PRAC, CE, INT, AGR and HLP). Moreover, all the elements of TPAPC were independent and quite stable. Teachers also reported high level of personal recognition (RECG) in the community, which appeared quite stable over time, showing only very slight increase. Perceived personal recognition was found to have a moderate to strong correlation with all the five elements of teachers’ sense of professional agency in professional community. However, recognition predicted most strongly collective efficacy and help-seeking.
6. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
We argue that teachers’ capacity to learn as professional communities is a key for enhancing both positive school and societal development. The study contributes in understanding of preconditions and regulators of teacher learning especially by showing how teachers’ professional communities affects teacher agency. It also offer tools for building a theory of teacher agency.

Authors

• Tiina Soini-Ikonen, Tampere University Foundation sr

• Kirsi Maria Pyhalto, University of Helsinki

• Janne Pietarinen, University of Eastern Finland