Shared professional agency in Early Childhood Education: An in-depth study of three teams

Through participatory action research this study examines shared agency in three teams of Finnish early childhood educators. To cultivate a strong professional learning culture, it is important to understand features affecting the collective nature of agency. The data consist of videoed discussions of the educators' responses to their actions. Results show shared agency as specific negotiated space, in which the educators’ agency was interpreted as high or low according to their relational dispositions and temporal engagements. High agency supported educators to examine and improve their daily practices. Implications for education of early childhood educators and for professional development are discussed.