Agentic Trajectories: Development and Learning in a Project-Based High School for Marginalized Students

Abstract

Traditional approaches to schooling can marginalize already vulnerable students, preventing them from learning; we explore how agency might play a role in supporting such students to develop as learners in a project-based high school that employs design pedagogy. We first examine whether agency can explain variance in standardized mathematics scores. Regression analysis indicates home language and agency had a significant effect on mathematics scores. We then turn to data collected through extended participant observation to characterize decisions students make. Based on these, we detail a developmental agency trajectory: dis/engagement agency serves as a covert means for students to learn; makerly agency serves as an entry point for students to explore and develop interests, and designerly agency allows students to take ownership of design problems and learn as they do so.