A Professional Agency Perspective on Novice Teachers' Development of a Teacher Leadership Stance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore novice teachers’ perceptions of professional agency in facilitating their development of a teacher leadership stance during the initial years of their work. Participants were thirteen novice teachers who had less than three years of teaching experience in Qatari government schools. Analysis of interview data revealed that novice teachers perceived professional agency in their reflections on university preparation; their commitment to students’ social and emotional well-being; and their “becoming” a teacher. They further practiced agency in their relationships with other teachers, and in their contributions to the wider school context. Accordingly, a total of six novice teachers reported a clear teacher leadership stance. By contrast, enacting professional agency was restricted according to seven novice teachers due to the presence of contextual factors which hindered their development of a teacher leadership stance. Implications of these findings to teacher education and school administration are discussed.