ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some fundamental structures that shape children’s educational experiences day to day in their primary schools, particularly curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. Beginning with theoretical conceptualisations of curriculum and their implications for children’s agency, the chapter explores how these structures can both enable and constrain children’s participation in their education. Drawing on research, we show some of the complex relationships between agency and educational outcomes, revealing how supporting both teachers’ and children’s agency can enhance children’s experiences and outcomes. The chapter then turns to examine how national curriculum texts worldwide represent children’s agency, analysing curricula from Ireland, Hong Kong, and some of the countries of the UK to understand different approaches to balancing policy makers’ preferences for curriculum standardisation with children’s agency. Particular attention is paid to England’s influential 2014 national curriculum and its impact on children’s and teachers’ agency.
