Steering the Agentic Vehicle: Exploring English as an Additional Language (EAL) Teachers’ Agency since the Victorian Curriculum Foundation–Year 10: EAL

This doctoral study examines English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers' perceptions of professional agency in Victoria, Australia, following the introduction of the Victorian Curriculum Foundation–Year 10: EAL Version 1.0 (2021). Using a sociocultural perspective on agency, the research employs a collective case study design with semi-structured interviews of five EAL teachers. Findings reveal that while one EAL coordinator in a leadership position acted as an agent of change, four participants did not perceive themselves as such. Instead, they saw their roles as boundary spanners and implementers of school-based curricula. The study highlights the need for expanded agentic spaces for EAL teachers and recommends improved professional learning approaches and institutional support mechanisms to enhance their capacity and better support EAL students' language learning.