Teachers as transformative agents in changing school culture

Abstract

This interview study examined the transformative professional agency of expert teachers selected to perform city-wide innovator and developer roles in the context of digital school transformations in Helsinki, Finland. Our analysis revealed that exploring and developing a novel digital pedagogy in one's own teaching was considered the core of their innovation activity. The insights and know-how developed through classroom innovation enabled productive participation in school- and city-level innovation activities. Working in thematic expert teacher teams generated ideas for supporting local innovation activity. Moreover, the interviews elucidated the epistemic, social, and organizational factors that enabled or hindered innovative professional activity.