Reconceptualizing the Role of Teachers in Education Renewal and Repair

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Agency as a Compass (Table 7)

Abstract

In our paper we address the failure of education reform and argue for a reconceptualization of the role of teachers in education repair and renewal. We use our research into the concept of teacher agency to provide support for our thesis that education can best be renewed in the direction of equity when those responsible for the enactment of educational processes are at the center of the design, implementation and evaluation of the renewal enterprise. Rooted in an ecological and interactionist perspective, we find that teacher agency is supported by practitioner research and collaboration with colleagues and in turn contributes to teacher retention and student learning. We conclude by arguing that equitable teaching practices and teacher agency are intimately connected.

Authors

• Janna Dresden, University of Georgia

• Kathy Thompson, University of Georgia