This study aims to investigate secondary music teachers' perceptions and degree of teacher agency. To this end, a survey was conducted with 306 secondary music teachers nationwide. The collected data were analyzed, focusing on perceptions and degrees ...
This study aims to investigate secondary music teachers' perceptions and degree of teacher agency. To this end, a survey was conducted with 306 secondary music teachers nationwide. The collected data were analyzed, focusing on perceptions and degrees of teacher agency, as well as differences and relationships among related variables. The results of the study were as follows.
First, teacher participants primarily perceived teacher agency as classroom leadership and autonomy, demonstrating high levels of interest and willingness to practice it. Yet a gap has existed between theoretical understanding of teacher agency and its actual practice in educational settings, with structural constraints and lack of support acting as major obstacles.
Second, music teachers' degrees of agency were generally high. This indicated that teachers have a strong sense of agency and competence regarding their educational activities. Particularly in the area of self-reflection, the highest degree was observed, confirming that teachers consider the improvement of educational practice and self-reflection to be important.
Third, perceptions and degrees of teacher agency showed significant differences across general background factors, including years of teaching experience, school level, type of school establishment, and employment status. Furthermore, school structural and environmental factors, such as teaching hours, school size, and administrative support, were found to significantly affect the exercise of teacher agency.
Fourth, a positive correlation was confirmed between teachers' perceptions of their agency and their actual degree of agency. This suggested that the more positively teachers perceive their agency, the more actively they tend to exercise it in the actual educational setting. Notably, this perception was associated with practical elements such as teacher autonomy, reflection, and the formation of educational relationships, confirming that the degree of perception regarding teacher agency is partially linked to its actual degree.
Based on the research results, it was suggested that perceptions of teacher agency and the educational environment enabling its implementation are related to the growth of music teachers' professionalism and the quality of music education. Accordingly, it was proposed that discussions be held on institutional and environmental factors that can support teacher agency, such as creating school environments, expanding training opportunities, and improving teaching conditions.
Based on these findings, this study examined secondary music teachers' perceptions of their agency and its degree, while identifying differences and relationships among related variables. Therefore, this study clarifies that teacher agency is a core concept for understanding music teachers' professional growth and the quality of their educational practice. The significance of this study lies in extending the scope of teacher agency research to the music education domain, thereby reflecting subject-specific characteristics and the context of music education. It is hoped that this would lead to the practical implementation of music teachers' agency in actual school settings, resulting in continuous professional growth and qualitative improvement in music education.