Navigating Cultural Dynamics: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Agency in the Hierarchical and Collectivist Educational Context

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, English Department, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

2 English Department, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

Abstract

Teacher agency, defined as educators’ capacity to act purposefully and autonomously, is vital for fostering innovative and effective educational practices. In Iran’s collectivist and hierarchical educational context, teachers navigate a complex interplay of cultural expectations, systemic constraints, and professional aspirations. Using semi-structured interviews for data collection and content analysis through a constant comparative method, this qualitative study explores the lived experiences of 32 English language teachers, to reveal that agency-framed teachers' decisions and acts are deeply influenced by collectivist cultural norms. Teachers shared stories of resilience and resourcefulness, striving to balance respect for authority with their desire to innovate and adapt teaching methods according to students’ needs. The findings revealed that collectivist values, hierarchical social structures, rigid curricula, parental expectations, and economic challenges constrain language teachers’ agency. Results of the current study emphasizes the need for systemic reforms that assist teachers in exerting their agency advocating for educational policies that humanize and empower educators as agents of transformative change in diverse global contexts while honoring cultural values. implications of the findings for language teachers, macro-policy makers, and other stakeholders are discussed in details.

Keywords

Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 4, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 165-177

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 30 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 06 November 2025

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