The role of teacher agency in refugee education

Abstract

Civil unrest and forced displacement have seen historical numbers of people seeking refuge in countries, such as Australia, with many being children of school age. As schools continue to respond to students from refugee backgrounds, the role of teacher agency in such responses is an important, yet understudied area of research. In taking an ecological view of teacher agency, the ability for teachers to achieve agency in refugee education is largely the result of an interplay of conditions such as school leadership and state funding models. As such the aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of school leaders in supporting refugee education, with a view to enhance how teacher agency can be used to support refugee students and the staff who work with them. In using Biesta et al. (Teach Teach, 21(6):624–640, 2015) practical-evaluative dimension of teacher agency as a theoretical framework, this exploratory study revealed the significant role of teacher agency in providing education and support for refugee students.