Identifying Perceived Factors That Influence Sense of Teaching Agency (SoTA) Among Higher Education Faculty

Abstract This study identifies the key factors influencing higher education faculty members’ Sense of Teaching Agency (SoTA) among faculty at U.S. four-year research-oriented institutions. Sense of Teaching Agency refers to a faculty member’s perceived capacity to make intentional instructional decisions that influence student learning within the opportunities and constraints of their teaching context. Drawing on a three‑round Delphi process with a panel of 30 U.S.-based faculty, educational developers, and academic leaders, the study achieved expert consensus on eight core factors: time and workload management, institutional and/or departmental support, autonomy, self‑efficacy, content expertise, pedagogical expertise, technological expertise, and an individual’s resistance to change. Internal factors reached consensus more readily than external ones, suggesting that SoTA is largely grounded in faculty capacities and perceptions but moderated by structural and contextual conditions. These findings establish SoTA as a distinct dimension of faculty agency and offer an innovative framework for redesigning faculty development, workload expectations, and evaluation systems to support instructional autonomy, pedagogical innovation, and equity in higher education.