Teacher voice: A balancing act?

Abstract

This qualitative case study set out to explore how teacher voice was manifested in their practices in curriculum change contexts, utilising the meta-theoretical paradigm of social constructivism and the theoretical framework of social cognitive theory. Data capture comprised a mix of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations conducted over a period of 1 year. Data were analysed using the content analysis method. The findings reveal that perceptions of structural suppression influenced teachers’ sense of agency, which led to a unique construction of teacher voice. The range and scope of teacher agency was underpinned by subservience to the “legislated policy” and predetermined teacher voice, which influenced teachers’ cognitive processes of their capacity to satisfy both internal and external requirements. The central position in this article, however, holds that some teachers can find space to explore possibilities within limitations, which enable and circumscribe subaltern subjectivity and agency, to develop a balanced teacher voice.