GC-DWC Researchers Embark on Study to Redefine Teacher Agency in Uganda

In an innovative study aimed at redefining teacher agency in Uganda, researchers from the University of Notre Dame’s Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC) and the Luigi Giussani Foundation (LGF) are set to explore how this concept can translate into actionable strategies that enhance both Teacher well-being (TWB) and student success. Despite the established links between teacher agency—a teacher’s capacity to make choices and take action to realize specific change—and stronger student academic and social outcomes in high-resource contexts, its implications in the majority-world remain under-explored. Additionally, it is unclear how teacher agency overlaps and interacts with similar constructs, like TWB, or how teacher agency translates into action in low-resource contexts where teachers have limited external support. This study, taking place from May 2024 through April 2026, aims to address these gaps in the extant research about teacher agency to better understand how teachers can be agents of change within the challenging landscape of education reform within Uganda.

The research initiative, conducted in partnership with Schools2030, will focus on the primary objectives of understanding teachers’ conceptualization of agency, evaluating the relationship between teacher agency and well-being, and exploring how these factors are associated with student learning.

“Teacher agency is a vital element of effective education, yet it is often overlooked in discussions about teacher development, especially in resource-constrained environments,” said Nikhit D’Sa, principal investigator of this project and GC-DWC assistant professor and director for research. “Our study aims to fill this gap by providing a contextualized definition of agency directly from teachers, leading to tailored measures that reflect their unique challenges and opportunities.”

The project is unfolding in three stages:

1. Group Model Building Workshop: Over the course of the project, researchers will conduct a workshop with primary grade teachers from Kampala and Arua who have been engaged with Schools2030, where teachers will develop an understanding and visual representation of the interconnected factors affecting their ability to translate agency into action and draft a comprehensive definition of agency.
2. Development and Adaptation of Teacher Agency Measures: The team will conduct a literature review to find open-access teacher agency measures, and then select measures that best capture teacher agency as defined in Stage 1. The team will test the tool—Adapted Teacher Agency Measure (ATAM)—by conducting cognitive interviews with 10-12 new teachers from Schools2030 schools to ensure internal consistency and reliability. Based on the interviews, the tool will be adapted and contextualized for Uganda.
3. Surveying Schools2030 Teachers: The team will collect data from teachers across 30 Schools2030 primary schools using both the Well-being ASSETS (previously developed measure of TWB in Uganda) and ATAM tools. The team will analyze the results from the surveys using both a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test the interaction effect of teacher well-being on teacher agency and multiple regression analysis to understand the association between teacher well-being, teacher agency, and the actions that teachers can take in their schools.

A two-day residential Group Model Building workshop recently concluded in Kampala, Uganda, bringing together 18 primary school teachers from both Kampala and Arua. Led by the GC-DWC’s partner organization, LGF, this workshop focused on understanding how a sample of primary school teachers from Kampala and Arua conceptualize agency in their roles within the classroom and school. Through collaborative sessions, participants identified and visually mapped out key factors influencing their capacity to make choices in their work and take action to change things in their classrooms and schools. Teachers also explored the intersection of their own definitions of agency with prior insights on TWB developed by Ugandan educators.

“Visiting Uganda and witnessing our partner team from LGF engage 18 primary school teachers in such an energetic and collaborative workshop was a wonderful experience,” Dakota Peterson, GC-DWC research associate, reflected. “The greatest joy came from seeing the teachers connect, share their experiences, learn from one another, and enjoy many moments of laughter over the two days. This workshop highlighted the vital role teacher agency plays in empowering educators to make meaningful and impactful decisions within their schools.”

This project will not only generate insights into teacher agency in Uganda, but also engage with local education experts to embed findings into existing educational policies and practices. Knowledge dissemination will include the development of tools, briefs, and reports, along with various webinars presentations at international conferences to promote broader discussions around teacher agency and professional development.

To read the non-technical brief from the Group Model Building Workshop, please visit: https://iei.nd.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/Teacher%20Agency%20Non-Technical%20Briefer_Nov%202024.pdf