Learner Agency

Enhancing learner agency within a localised curriculum

Belief:  

To have agency is to possess the ability to exercise influence over one’s circumstances.

Theory of Improvement:

In order to succeed ākonga. need to have high expectations of themselves as learners; children who feel confident about their capacity to learn, who set high goals for their learning, and who work for themselves to construct enjoyable, challenging learning pathways for their futures. 
This can only be achieved by teachers who clearly understand the nature of learning, the nature of the relationship that needs to be present to sustain learning and the ability to build on the following capabilities:  Building a learning focused relationship, clarity about what is to be learnt, assessment for learning, promoting further learning, active reflection, clarity about next learning steps.

Strategic Goal: 

To continue to evaluate and refine our shared understanding and commitment within our community about learner agency/Learning Focussed Relationships, developing a consistent language across kura. Construct a process to evaluate our practice as a Kāhui ako, that ensures we refine the way that we improve teacher practice and agency throughout our Kāhui Ako.

Supporting Documents:

https://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Leading-Innovative-Learning-in-Schools.pdfhttps://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/teaching-approaches-and-strategies-that-work/developing-student-agency-and-motivation-through-effective-teacher-practices-and-inquiry/

Actions

2021

Engage with school leadership to ensure support for those who are building capability around learner agency.Develop a shared understanding and commitment within our community about learner agency/Learning Focussed Relationships. Explore consistency of language across kura.Continue to evaluate and refine our shared understanding and commitment within our community about learner agency/Learning Focussed Relationships. Consistency of language across kura.
Engage with the community/
ākonga/whānau to inform the development of a an agentic learner within our Kāhui Ako.
Inform whānau of our schoolwide/Kāhui Ako wide understandings of agency through workshops, school meetings.The community engages with and has a shared understanding of learner agency that leads to high levels of relational trust between all parties.  
Begin to develop a culture of sharing and collaboration between kaiako about  learner agency within and across kura and settings.Provide informal opportunities for kaiako to explore and observe learner agency in other settings. Relational trust builds between teachers.Develop a process of evaluation that ensures we refine the way that we improve teacher practice and agency.

Support students to gather “voice” from all kura to develop a shared understanding of a Central Taranaki learner.
Facilitate a Central Taranaki student group  to raise issues and share ideas around learners and learner agency.

SUCCESS MEASURES:

  • Kura will:
    • have their own localised and clearly outlined approach to Agency that has been co-constructed with staff
    • have developed a way to monitor both teacher and student progress in Agency across their school
    • seek student voice on the implementation of agency in their school
  • Kiako will:
    • have had opportunities to observe and discuss agency with other teachers within and beyond their kura
    • understand that agency is complex and requires a more personalised approach, and be developing this in their spaces
    • make the skills, attitudes and behaviours of agentic learners explicit to students and provide specific feedback and feedforward
    • Involve all of their students increasingly in decisions for their learning, and encourage students to take the lead in different ways
    • provide more opportunities for students to learn across the curriculum, through rich experiences and meaningful contexts