Student teacher professional agency in the practicum

Abstract

Teachers are expected to be active professionals in their work. Consequently, the development of professional agency in student teachers is an important dimension in teacher education. This paper reports on a study where the practice of six early childhood student teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) was analysed by means of a triadic assessment process to find that only three of the student teachers were deemed to have operated with ‘professional’ agency. Factors, that were perceived to have contributed to or detracted from professional agency, are revealed through an examination of the intersections of practice between the student teachers, associate teachers and visiting lecturers. However, when the practice of the six student teachers was analysed using Giddens’ (1984) concept of agency, each was found to have operated with agency. Stemming from the latter analysis, a model to promote professional agency in student teachers is constructed, and a revised concept of professional agency for student teachers is presented.