Student agency: Theoretical elaborations and implications for research and practice

• Published in: International journal of educational research 2023, Vol.122, p.102258, Article 102258
• Main Authors: Mameli, Consuelo, Grazia, Valentina, Molinari, Luisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agentic engagement; Person-oriented approach; Student agency; Teacher justice; Teacher–student interactions
• ISSN: 0883-0355; 1873-538X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102258

•Student agency is a unitary construct including aligned and resistant actions.•Agency manifests in many ways depending on how student–teacher interactions unfold.•Students act agentically especially when facing with teachers perceived as unjust.•Students’ subjective experiences of agency differ. In this discursive article, we provide theoretical and empirical reflections on student agency with the aim of improving the understanding of this construct and pave the way for future research and practice. In particular, based on international literature and empirical studies, we elaborate on four controversial issues, namely student agency definition, theoretical framework, meaning and individual experience. This paper yields an articulated view of student agency, conceived as a multi-faceted construct, contextual and interactive in nature, whose meaning varies depending on learners’ perceptions of interpersonal justice, and which is experienced differently by students with different profiles. In the conclusion, these issues are discussed to track possible future research paths and in terms of their implications for teacher practice.