Learning to Lead: Activating Agency through Teacher Professional Development

Across many education systems, teachers are expected to deliver lessons, follow curricula, and meet targets, but they are rarely empowered to adapt or respond in real time to challenges in their classrooms. This gap is even more pronounced in under-resourced or crisis-affected contexts, leaving teachers without the tools, confidence, or support to act. When teacher agency is constrained, learning stalls, engagement drops, and classrooms struggle to meet local realities.

When teachers are trusted and equipped to lead from the outset, classrooms become more adaptive, inclusive, and responsive. Teachers grow in confidence, creativity, and professional identity, and education systems evolve to support ongoing learning. By investing in professional development that prioritises teacher agency and innovation, education systems can transform not just individual classrooms, but entire schools — building resilient, effective learning environments capable of preparing learners for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s uncertainties.

In Part Four of our Virtual Forum series, we will hear insights from teachers to find out how they understand and promote agency through their work with the ultimate goal of delivering transformative education for their students.

#LearningToLead