Teacher agency and policy response in the Australian adult ESL literacy classroom

Teachers in adult language and literacy programs are well acquainted with the impact and effects of policy decisions, often taken at some distance from the classroom (Canagarajah, 2004). Indeed, many language teachers have to work within substantial constraints, including prescribed policies that shift rapidly with ministry changes, imposed curricula and mandated assessment procedures (McKenna & Fitzpatrick, 2005; Ollerhead, 2010; Priestley et al., 2013).