Learner agency is when learners have the ‘power to act’. Learner agency develops when the learners are involved in the whole learning process,involving learners a lot more in the choices about the what as well as the how and the why of what is being learned. Student voice is another aspect of agentic behaviour.
Learner agency is when learners work individually or collaboratively to search for understanding, solve problems, create a product or complete a task. They make sense of the world through exploring, testing and evaluating.
Agency can take many forms; from making decisions about which activity to move onto next, through to learners being empowered to take positive social action in their communities. Providing choices in their learning is an important factor in engagement, which is in turn a contributor to student learning and success.
Strong relationships are crucial to the success of empowering students with learner agency. Knowing the learners; their skills, strengths, passions, interests and needs is essential to support them effectively in their learning. It also involves strong relationships between teacher, learner and whānau
Learner agency is embedded in the New Zealand Curriculums Key Competencies as ‘the Capabilities that young people need for growing, working, and participating in their communities’. It is important that learners have the ability and the will to positively influence their own lives and the world around them. When learners are agents in their learning, they are more likely to have “learned how to learn”- an invaluable skill that they can use throughout their lives.
Through the inquiry process opportunities are provided for our learners to take their learning to new places. They are confident in themselves as learners as they learn to identify their skills and next steps, and grow in their understanding of how they learn best. Our learners have the ability to choose when it’s appropriate to work with others or to work individually. Learner agency empowers students to have a sense of belonging and the ‘want’ to make a difference when making choices about how and who to share their learning with. Our learners work towards deepening their understanding of ideas, skills and knowledge as they develop their use of the inquiry process. Teachers support this growth and development through their design of rich learning opportunities
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