ALARA Monograph No 11 Empowering Co-Agency for Establishing Visionary Strategists

<p class=ql-align-justify>Co-agency is a transformative approach in education emphasising shared power collaboration and student autonomy to prepare learners as visionary strategists in a rapidly evolving world. Despite its potential limited research has been undertaken on the implementation of long-term co-agency practices within secondary school settings to foster equitable and inclusive learning environments. This study explores how co-agency can enhance student progress in secondary schools addressing the gap in actionable strategies for transforming educational practices. The research incorporates teaching experiences from integrating Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) with Bybee's 5E model to create inclusive student-centred learning environments. Using the Piggot-Irvine Action Research (AR) model the study examines the effectiveness of co-agency practices through data collected from surveys interviews observations and student-centred teaching. The study also highlights challenges such as resource constraints teacher workload varied learning needs and offers practical strategies to address these barriers.</p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p>The findings from the student survey conducted after implementing the blended approach of IBL with the 5E model show significant improvement in student engagement problem-solving abilities leadership skills and adaptability. Culturally responsive pedagogy is a cornerstone of this research ensuring equitable learning opportunities for diverse groups including Māori and Pasifika students. The recommendations focus on developing responsive learning environments promoting growth mindsets and integrating co-agency practices into professional development to ensure sustained impact. This research demonstrates co-agency's transformative potential to bridge educational inequities cultivate resilience and empower students and educators alike in navigating future challenges.</p><p></p>