The effects of cognitively guided instruction on how teachers support the development of student agency

Student agency—the ability to decide and manage what and how to learn—is essential for their math learning. Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) supports the development of student agency; but it is not clear whether male and female students receive equal support from teachers. This study investigated the effects of CGI on the instructional practices that support the development of student agency and the extent to which there are student-sex differences in how CGI versus non-CGI teachers support the development of student agency, based on analyzing 47 one-hour videos of elementary teachers’ math classes in Florida, USA. Results found treatment (CGI vs. control) and student-sex (males vs. females) differences in the frequency of events supporting student agency; CGI’s effectiveness in closing the gap between how often males received support in developing agency versus the frequency with which females received that support was not significant. Example excerpts from videos were discussed to illustrate the effect of CGI in supporting student agency. We believe this study expands our knowledge of the power of CGI and suggests that more attention should be paid to sex equity in the professional development efforts.