Teacher agency in curriculum and pedagogical development: Reflections from a design research project about self‐regulated learning in secondary schools

Abstract Transnational guidelines on skills and competencies for lifelong learning, along with curriculum reforms to promote curriculum flexibility and autonomy in schools, are pressing teachers to be engaged in curriculum and pedagogical innovation focused on student‐centred approaches favourable to developing learner autonomy. Drawing on a design research project focused on self‐regulated learning, in this article, we explore how an initiative aimed at fostering pedagogical innovation through peer observation and feedback amongst students has the potential to promote teacher agency in engaging in sustained innovation. The project was developed in four Portuguese schools, and data collection involves a wide set of materials, including notes from participant observation, a series of focus groups and written reports produced by participating teachers in the first cycle of the project (school year 2023–2024). Stemming from content analysis of thematic nature, results suggest that keeping strategies rather open to local adaptation, as well as involving teachers in the different phases of the intervention, including the model design, has prompted their sense of agency. Also, teachers value the existence of an extended community, mainly researchers and teachers of other subjects, to whom they could communicate during the development of the project to explore ideas and discuss practices.