Between passivity and autonomy: students’ agentic space and digital agency in Norwegian lower secondary education

This study investigates how Norwegian lower secondary students perceive their agentic space when using computers in learning activities and how this relates to their digital agency. Drawing on sociocultural theory and the framework for agentic space, we conducted 12 semi-structured interviews with 10th-grade students and applied abductive thematic analysis. Findings reveal a tension between passivity and autonomy: while students appreciate the security of teacher-directed structures, they also express a desire for more freedom and creative exploration. However, opportunities for independent choice are often limited to minor decisions, such as task order or preferred applications within a restricted set of tools. Students frequently describe operating within predefined digital environments that offer little scope for influencing learning activities or technological choices. Our analysis suggests that a constrained agentic space may limit opportunities for developing digital agency, which international frameworks such as the OECD Learning Compass 2030 and UNESCO’s learning frameworks identify as essential for future learning. We argue that schools could address this by designing learning activities that provide a better balance between structure and autonomy, enabling students to make meaningful choices and engage in exploratory, creative use of digital technology. We suggest that such practices are crucial for fostering digital agency and preparing students for participation in a rapidly evolving digital society.