Teacher identity and agency in Ontario priority schools

This study investigates the experiences of four early years teachers (K-3) in Ontario priority schools. Priority schools often face disparities and have a higher proportion of students who are labelled as at-risk or have special education needs. Subsequently, teachers need to advocate for resources, yet their efforts are often unfulfilled. As a result, this can lead to higher rates of teacher attrition and burnout in priority schools. Unfortunately, teacher experiences are often absent in literature on priority schools. Contributing to the literature, this multiple-case study uses a teacher identity development framework to examine how the perceived agency of four early years educators is shaped within their school structures. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Findings indicated that although the teachers express feeling little or no agency, their narratives contain examples of agentic action. This study’s implications can contribute to further discussion on teacher identity and agency in Ontario priority schools.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Muchmaker, Jennifer Rose

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ruttenberg-Rozen, Robyn

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2090

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2090