What is Student Agency?

While there are many definitions out there, most describe agency as a student’s ability and inclination to meaningfully influence their learning and their life. It means students don’t just receive learning — they drive it. They act with intention, knowing when to act, why to act, and how to act effectively.

But agency isn’t something that can simply be “given.” It’s something that is developed slowly, intentionally, and relationally. To build agency, we must shift our focus away from just the products students create and begin focusing on the learning behaviours that build self-regulation, decision-making, and ownership.

Agency doesn’t live in a single strategy or a moment of choice. It emerges from the dynamic relationship between the learner and their environment. It’s shaped by:

• The student’s identity and beliefs about themselves as a learner

• The opportunities they’re offered to co-design, reflect, and lead

• The relationships they experience with teachers and peers

• The skills and resources they have to take meaningful action

When students feel confident, capable, and connected, they are more likely to engage deeply, show initiative, and take responsibility for their learning.

Environment to Act

This refers to the structures, routines, and classroom culture that make student action possible. A student cannot take initiative if they’re not in a space that allows for it. The environment creates the conditions for agency, but must be supported by mindset and skill-building. This includes:

• Clear scaffolds (rubrics, timelines, checklists)

• Predictable routines that promote independence

• Classroom expectations co-designed with students

• Flexibility and voice in how students demonstrate learning

A strong environment alone does not create agency,  but without it, agency can’t exist. 

Will to Act

This is the student’s internal motivation and mindset. It’s about whether they feel safe, confident, and purposeful enough to step forward in their learning. Will to act is shaped by:

• Self-belief and a sense of efficacy

• Growth mindset and reflection habits

• A connection between learning and personal relevance

• Belonging and psychological safety in the classroom
  
  

Students with the will to act are not just compliant, they are engaged, invested, and striving.

Power to Act

This is where mindset meets capability. The power to act includes the skills, strategies, and habits students use to take initiative effectively. It’s about helping students answer the question: “Do I know how to do this well?”

Students demonstrate the power to act when they:

• Apply learning strategies independently

• Reflect and revise based on feedback

• Manage their time, resources, and goals

• Take initiative in group work or decision-making

Our Role as Educators

Building agency doesn’t mean stepping back, it means stepping in as enablers of possibility. Agency grows in classrooms where:

• Teachers value and incorporate student voice and agency

• Curriculum is co-designed to reflect learners' interests and identities

• Feedback builds learner confidence, not just compliance

• All students are seen as capable of growth
  
  

Agency is about what students bring, and what we help make possible. When both work together, agency can flourish.

See attachments for further reading on The Learner Agency Framework by James Anderson and EdPartnerships International.

How are Faculties using these resources?

Find examples from PE and Maths faculties, who have adapted the learner reflection tools for their context.

If you have resources you'd like to share, please contact Allana Constance. 

Observation templates 

Attached are the two observation templates used by staff across the college when conducting learning walks and / or peer observations.