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Collective Agency among Physics Teachers: A Case in China’s Curriculum Reform

Received: 19 December 2014     Accepted: 28 December 2014     Published: 12 January 2015
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Abstract

This study explored how secondary physics teachers exercised their collective agency in the process of adopting and adapting to a nation-wide curriculum reform in China. Through an ethnographic approach and drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, physics teachers’ collective agency was explored and interpreted. The results revealed that collective agency was a mediating bridge through which the discrepancies between reform mandates and teachers’ pedagogies and curriculum interpretations were negotiated. Further, collective agency helped teachers to cope with uncertainties generated by the reform and offered mental supports. Moreover, the reform mandates undermined the traditional power hierarchy within teachers and thus stimulated teachers’ collective agency. The study demonstrates the interdependent relations between collective agency and reform environment and has implications for theory, practice, curriculum, and research.

Published in International Journal of Secondary Education (Volume 2, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11
Page(s) 94-101
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Physics Teacher, Collective Agency, Chinese Curriculum Reform

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Guopeng Fu, Samson Nashon. (2015). Collective Agency among Physics Teachers: A Case in China’s Curriculum Reform. International Journal of Secondary Education, 2(6), 94-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11

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    ACS Style

    Guopeng Fu; Samson Nashon. Collective Agency among Physics Teachers: A Case in China’s Curriculum Reform. Int. J. Second. Educ. 2015, 2(6), 94-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11

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    AMA Style

    Guopeng Fu, Samson Nashon. Collective Agency among Physics Teachers: A Case in China’s Curriculum Reform. Int J Second Educ. 2015;2(6):94-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11,
      author = {Guopeng Fu and Samson Nashon},
      title = {Collective Agency among Physics Teachers: A Case in China’s Curriculum Reform},
      journal = {International Journal of Secondary Education},
      volume = {2},
      number = {6},
      pages = {94-101},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20140206.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsedu.20140206.11},
      abstract = {This study explored how secondary physics teachers exercised their collective agency in the process of adopting and adapting to a nation-wide curriculum reform in China. Through an ethnographic approach and drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, physics teachers’ collective agency was explored and interpreted. The results revealed that collective agency was a mediating bridge through which the discrepancies between reform mandates and teachers’ pedagogies and curriculum interpretations were negotiated. Further, collective agency helped teachers to cope with uncertainties generated by the reform and offered mental supports. Moreover, the reform mandates undermined the traditional power hierarchy within teachers and thus stimulated teachers’ collective agency. The study demonstrates the interdependent relations between collective agency and reform environment and has implications for theory, practice, curriculum, and research.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    AB  - This study explored how secondary physics teachers exercised their collective agency in the process of adopting and adapting to a nation-wide curriculum reform in China. Through an ethnographic approach and drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, physics teachers’ collective agency was explored and interpreted. The results revealed that collective agency was a mediating bridge through which the discrepancies between reform mandates and teachers’ pedagogies and curriculum interpretations were negotiated. Further, collective agency helped teachers to cope with uncertainties generated by the reform and offered mental supports. Moreover, the reform mandates undermined the traditional power hierarchy within teachers and thus stimulated teachers’ collective agency. The study demonstrates the interdependent relations between collective agency and reform environment and has implications for theory, practice, curriculum, and research.
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Author Information
  • Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  • Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

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