Achieving professional agency for school development in the context of having a PhD scholarship.: An intricate interplay

Abstract

In this multiple case study, we investigated teachers professional agency in relation to school development in the context of having a PhD scholarship, and the interplay of personal and social resources. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Dutch secondary education teachers with PhD scholarships. Teachers are achieving bounded, restricted and extensive agency, and performed informed actions aiming to influence curriculum development and research culture. The interplay between personal and social resources we found influences teachers achieving of professional agency. Implications for future research include more in-depth analysis of this interplay of resources in achieving agency.