Using place-based narrative methods to highlight teachers' achievements of agency in their work

Purpose This study aims to investigate how primary school teachers in the Victorian Government education system achieve agency in their work, aiming to elevate teacher agency as a critical concept in education policy. It responds to the limited recognition of teacher agency in current policy frameworks, particularly in light of increasing teacher attrition. Design/methodology/approach Using place-based narrative inquiry informed by assemblage theory, the research explores how teachers' agency emerges through everyday interactions with people, spaces and policies. Four teachers participated in walking interviews at their schools, sharing stories that were analysed to identify increases and decreases in their capacity to act. Findings The study reveals that teacher agency is not a fixed trait but a relational and emergent phenomenon shaped by socio-material conditions. Teachers achieve agency through informal, affective and spatially situated practices that are often invisible to policy. These practices foster resilience and engagement, challenging dominant narratives of performativity and formalized professional development. Originality/value This paper contributes a novel methodological and theoretical approach by combining narrative inquiry with assemblage theory to decentre the individual and highlight the distributed nature of agency. It offers new insights into how teacher agency can be recognized and supported through policy and leadership practices that attend to the everyday realities of teachers' work. The findings advocate for a reimagining of teacher development and retention strategies that foreground informal, place-based and relational dimensions of professional life.