Learner agency in the context of innovative learner environment: its conceptualization and theoretical basis

Abstract

The centrality of learner agency notion, as an indicator of school learning environment transformation, implies the necessity of its conceptualization by the academics. The concept of learner agency is being elaborated following the rails of sociological definition of agency, which puts this notion in the procedural field of interaction with structural and cultural factors. Two theoretical perspectives — social cognitive theory of Bandura and social morphogenesis theory of Archer — form the basis for understanding the notion of learner agency, defined in the framework of a given theoretical research. The key features of learner agency concept are its emergent and temporal character, as well as agent’s personal identity level. Such understanding of learner agency requires from school learning environment: a) to coordinate the learning process with learners’ different time horizons in order to enable learning process taking into account past experience, future plans and aspirations, and present knowledge and skills’ level; b) to provide the possibility, firstly, for Self-knowledge, Self-identification, and, afterwards, for realization of learners’ individual peculiarities and interests throughout the whole learning process; c) to maintain a conducive mode of learners’ interaction with both structural and cultural factors of learning environment.