Emerging Conceptualisations on Professional Agency and Learning

Abstract

Emerging conceptualisations on professional agency and learning This chapter provides an evaluative summary of the major contributions from the first section of this book, comprising conceptualisations on professional agency and work-related learning. The evaluation focuses on the differences, similarities, and strengths of the approaches and conceptualisations touched on. The focus is, first of all, on how the core meanings of agency and the agentic perspective are understood. Secondly, the approaches are addressed according to their view of how the contextual aspects of working life relate to agency. Thirdly, attention is given to the practical conclusions deriving from different understandings of agency. The present chapter thus elaborates how these understandings relate to work-related learning, and to the development of work practices. It further discusses the implications of the different conceptualisations of agency for future research, and for the development of agentic practices at work, with attention given also to lifelong career construction. On the basis of the summary, the chapter seeks to identify the most important gaps in current knowledge. These will require research on agency in work-related learning, and on individual lifelong career construction.

Vocational Education and Learners’ Experienced Workplace Curriculum

“…Here, the focus is on these kinds of learners' agentic actions that may include versatile "self-initiated and goal-directed behaviours that aim to take control over the work environment and/or the acting individual's life" (Goller and Harteis 2017, p. 88). Agency is also influenced by the context (Eteläpelto 2017;Goller and Harteis 2017). For example, learners' engagement and agency can be influenced by providing them with a legitimate and influential role, allowing autonomy and independent work instead of a marginalised position, and by providing opportunities to observe others and to receive guidance (Bouw et al 2019;Mikkonen et al 2017).…”

Emotions in leaders’ enactment of professional agency

“…In recognising the theoretical notions presented above, the understanding of professional agency in this study was based on a subject-centred sociocultural approach (SCSC) (Eteläpelto, 2017;Eteläpelto, et al, 2013), which turns attention to the subjects' enactment of agency at work and to the shaping of their professional identity. This approach underlines behavioural aspects of agency and sees agency foremost as something that people do in order to develop their work and reshape their professional identity.…”

Yksilön toimijuudesta yhteiseksi käytännöksi

“…Se ilmenee tekoina, joilla opiskelija osoittaa olevansa aloitteellinen ja tavoitteellinen ja joilla hän ottaa hallintaansa työtilanteita ja ympäristöjä. Samalla toimijuuteen vaikuttaa konteksti, joissa tekoja tehdään, kuten kuinka legitiimi ja vaikuttava rooli tulokkaalle annetaan ja mahdollistaako se itseohjautuvuuden ja itsenäisyyden marginaalisen aseman sijaan (Eteläpelto 2017;Rintala & Nokelainen 2019, Gherardi, Nicolini & Odella 1998.…”

“…Yhteisön toiminnan muuttaminen edellyttää yksilöltä toimivaltaa, mahdollisuutta vaikuttaa -siis toimijuutta, lupaa ja valtaa muuttaa yhteistä käytäntöä (Saari, Hasu, Käpykangas & Kovalainen 2020). Toimijuus ei siten ole vapaasti valittavissa, vaan sitä kehystävät valtasuhteet ja omat toimintamahdollisuudet tietyissä oloissa (Eteläpelto 2017). Analyysissä pohdimme seuraavia tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat yksilön toimijuuteen: kouluttajan työhistoria, ammatti-identiteetti ja kokemus mahdollisuuksista vaikuttaa sekä oppimiskäsitys.…”