Promoting student agency in science education: a meta-synthesis

Abstract

Student agency is currently gaining attention in educational research as an important competency that current students should embody. However, synthesis of studies exploring student agency is limited, thereby affecting effective adoption and promotion of agency among students in classrooms. This review synthesized the different conceptualizations of agency in various contexts, the various pedagogies used to promote agency, and how agency is developed and enabled. The study used a meta-synthesis design and followed the PRISMA protocol to systematically search and screen studies. Content analysis was performed to analyze the qualitative data of each article. The review identified a range of conceptualizations across sociocultural, psychological, sociological, cultural anthropology, and asymmetrical materialist frameworks, each illuminating how agency emerges through dialogic interaction, identity negotiation, and purposeful engagement with science. The pedagogical approaches that promoted agency were those that emphasized open-ended inquiry, dialogic teaching, and community- and place-based learning. Socio-cultural and sociological lenses emphasize co-constructed meaning-making and identity negotiation, while cultural anthropology and psychological frameworks highlight the role of real-world engagement, personal relevance, confidence, and relational support in fostering agency. These results imply that science and environmental educators should rethink designing lessons and curriculum that provide sustained opportunities for open-ended inquiry, dialogue, and engagement with locally and socially relevant issues to promote agency among students.