This study explores the enactment of teacher agency in the context of Malaysia's transition from traditional high-stakes testing to CEFR-aligned Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) within the English language curriculum. This shift, embedded within the broader English Language Education Roadmap 2015-2025, represents a significant transformation in assessment practices aimed at fostering meaningful language skills and enhancing communicative competence. While the reform aligns Malaysia’s education standards with global frameworks, concerns persist regarding the recontextualization of these frameworks within diverse Malaysian classrooms. The success of such reforms hinges on the effective implementation of new assessment practices by teachers, whose professional judgment and agency are critical in navigating the tensions between policy intentions and classroom realities.

While there is growing recognition of the importance of empowering teachers in assessment practices (Davison & Leung, 2009; Namgung et al., 2021), research specifically exploring the relationship between teacher agency and assessment practices in Malaysia remains sparse. This gap underscores the need for empirical research to understand how primary English teachers in Malaysia enact their professional agency within various sociocultural settings during CBA implementation. It is critical to recognise that theories and research findings on teacher agency from one cultural or educational context may not seamlessly translate to another due to contextual differences. Moreover, the predominance of research from Western contexts on teacher agency suggests that incorporating insights from non-Western settings like Malaysia could enrich and broaden the international discourse on teacher agency, providing a more comprehensive understanding of teacher agency and assessment practices (Namgung et al., 2021). 

Research questions: 

This study aims to (i) investigate how teachers enact agency during the implementation of CBA and ii) explore the biographical and sociocultural factors that enhance and inhibit teacher agency. The following research questions will be used as guidance to fulfil this study's purpose and aims:

i.          How do English primary teachers enact their agency within the implementation of CBA under the CEFR-aligned English language curriculum?

ii.          What are the factors that inhibit or exhibit the exertion of teacher agency during the implementation of CBA under the CEFR English language curriculum?

Related theoretical frameworks:

1. Davison (2008)’s framework for Teacher-based Assessment. 

The relevance of Davison & Leung (2009)’s key characteristics of TBA to the CEFR-aligned Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) is particularly pronounced, as CEFR-aligned CBA similarly relies on teachers to assess students' language proficiency across a continuum of levels, from basic to advanced

2. Ecological approach to teacher agency

3. Theory of Figured Worlds/ Theory of improvisation

Figured Worlds and the theory of improvisation are used as the conceptual framing to examine the enactment of teachers’ agency during the implementation of the CEFR-aligned English language curriculum. In the light of this conceptual framework, the enactment of teacher agency is investigated through the ways teachers feel, perceive, interpret, improvise and judge the implementation of CBA. 

4. Biesta et.al (2015)'s beliefs framework 

Beliefs are conceptualized as a biographical factor representing the iterational dimension of teacher agency within an ecological framework. Specifically, this study examines teachers' beliefs about children, CBA, and the purposes of CBA, following Priestley et al. (2015)’s framework of teacher agency and beliefs.

5. Subject-centred sociocultural approach (Eteläpelto et al.,2015)

This framework is particularly pertinent for investigating the ecological factors that shape teacher agency, aligning with the aims of this study as outlined in the second research question. 

Research design: Grounded in a constructivist epistemology and utilizing a qualitative multi-case study design, this research investigates how English primary school teachers enact their agency during the implementation of CBA across different educational contexts. Data collection methods: Data will be collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video recordings to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing teacher agency. The study aims to identify the biographical and sociocultural factors that enhance or inhibit agency, offering insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders in designing professional development programs that support teachers. Additionally, this research contributes to the global discourse on teacher agency and educational assessment, particularly within non-Western contexts like Malaysia, thereby enriching the literature on curriculum reform and classroom practices. Data analysis procedure: Thus, qualitative data analysis is inherently a language-based analysis (Dornyei, 2007). The data analysis procedure of this study follows Dornyei (2007)’s four phases of the analytical process namely: i) transcribing the data, ii) pre-coding and coding iii) growing ideas- displaying the data, and iv) interpreting the data and drawing the conclusion. This study also employs thematic analysis as its analytical method to analyse the data collected from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video recordings. Thematic analysis is a method used to identify, analyse, and report patterns (themes) within data.

This study is expected to contribute significantly to the literature on teacher agency and educational assessment, particularly in non-Western contexts like Malaysia. The findings will offer valuable insights for policymakers and educational leaders in designing professional development programs that support teachers, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of the CEFR-aligned curriculum. By examining the complex interplay between individual agency and structural conditions, this research will provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that support or hinder effective assessment practices, ultimately aiming to improve language education outcomes in Malaysia.

Biesta, G., Priestley, M., & Robinson, S. (2015). The role of beliefs in teacher agency. Teachers and Teaching, 21(6), 624–640. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044325 Biesta, G., Priestley, M., & Robinson, S. (2017). Talking about education: Exploring the significance of teachers’ talk for teacher agency. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 49(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2016.1205143 Eteläpelto, A., Vähäsantanen, K., & Hökkä, P. (2015). How do novice teachers in Finland perceive their professional agency? Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 21(6), 660–680. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044327 Priestley, M., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2013). Reinventing the Curriculum: New Trends in Curriculum Policy and Practice Pedagogy of relation View project Norrowing the Curriculum View project Teachers as “agents of change”: Teacher agency and emerging models of curriculum. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263766319 Priestley, M., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: What is it and why does it matter? In Flip the System: Changing Education from the Bottom Up. Routledge. Priestley, M., Edwards, R., Priestley, A., & Miller, K. (2012). Teacher Agency in Curriculum Making: Agents of Change and Spaces for Manoeuvre. Curriculum Inquiry, 42(2), 191–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-873X.2012.00588.x Priestley, M., Robinson, S., & Biesta, G. (2011). Mapping teacher agency: An ecological approach to understanding teachers’ work. 1–9.