ABSTRACT
Drawing from theorists such as Bourdieu and Foucault to navigate the power structures that shape teachers’ everyday practices, this chapter will explore how concepts such as agency, field, habitus, (powerful) knowledge and capital are helpful tools in understanding teachers’ decision-making and actions in the classroom, particularly as they attempt to further Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) practices. This chapter will interrogate Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital, in particular, by exploring how teachers negotiate their ecological and professional identities in light of social and political structures, such as policies, curriculum and institutional norms. Early career teachers, in particular, navigate their social contexts or field in a way that seeks to legitimise their personal convictions and lived experiences. As they actively negotiate the power relations that exist within their educational settings, they draw upon their beliefs and experiences to unlock their sense of agency. Additionally, what constitutes powerful knowledge is discussed in light of how ESE is ‘prioritised’ in Australia and ways in which teachers can take agentive steps forward.
