Teachers’ collective agency enactment in implementing the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2
Abstract
Teacher agency has received attention from researchers around the world, particularly in Vietnam recently. A small number of studies have been conducted in Vietnamese settings to examine teachers’ individual agency enactment with a focus on the language policy under the National Foreign Language Project 2020. However, little research has been carried out to look into teachers’ collective agency putting an emphasis on the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2. In order to fill in the gap in the literature, this study grounded on the ecological approach proposed by Priestley et al. (2015) examined teachers’ collective agency enactment in implementing the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2. Data were gained through documents, interviews, and observations. The findings highlighted that the participant teachers collaborated together in the experience exchanging meetings, the professional development program, and at the foreign language center. Teacher collaboration with their colleagues at the intra- and inter-school level was driven by their relationships with their colleagues, their previous knowledge and prior professional experience, and the foreign language center’s culture. The study gives implications for policy makers, school administrators, and teachers in the process of operating the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2.
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