Teachers as Change Agents: Exploring the Possibilities of Teacher Agency in a Test-Centered Education System

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Knowledge Network, Teacher Agency, and Systemic Changes

Abstract

While the current global education-reform discourse pushes for uniformity toward accountability and standardization across different education systems, the discourse is adapted in varied ways depending on each system’s unique social, cultural, and historical context. Based on that premise, I conducted phenomenological research with 13 high school teachers in Korea about their experience of enacting teacher agency. Despite intense pressure on them to prepare students for tests, I found that teachers do enact agency to deliver meaningful, student-centered lessons. This not only benefits students but also sustains teachers’ self-efficacy and professional development. My findings also demonstrate the interconnectedness of systemic, school, and individual factors in shaping agency, suggesting that comprehensive support is vital for promoting genuine educational innovation in this system.

Author

• Jina Ro, Sungkyunkwan University