Centering the collective in the (co)construction of equitable literacy spaces: an integrative critical literature review

Purpose The purpose of this integrative critical literature review is to conduct an in-depth analysis of two decades of empirical studies on agency in literacy education to explore how conceptualizations of agency shape how researchers interpret enactments of agency in learning spaces, and examine the kinds of ideologies framing agency that have been normalized, privileged, marginalized or silenced across the field. Design/methodology/approach The following research questions guide the analysis: How have literacy researchers operationalized the concept of agency through data analysis and interpretation as evidenced in their findings? What patterns have emerged in relation to how researchers think about how those positioned as teachers and learners enact agency? What ideologies framing agency have been normalized, privileged, marginalized or silenced? Findings Findings examine the interrelationships among researchers’ conceptualizations of agency and factors situated as mediating agency, including goal-oriented behavior, capacity, identity, narrative and storying, positionality and contextual resources. Originality/value Discussion and implications examine how literacy researchers might account for sociopolitical discourses that are more inclusive of collective notions of agency. The authors encourage literacy researchers to expand their conceptions and theoretical framings of agency that extend beyond the individual and encompass the communal, as well as to critically reflect on what becomes visible to them through their expressions of agency, given how they frame the concept of agency.