Teacher agency within a prescribed curriculum

Political changes that have taken place in post-apartheid South Africa have contributed to several policy initiatives that aimed at achieving a more democratic and unified education system. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) being the current state curriculum, consists of a policy statement for teaching and learning in South African schools. The CAPS curriculum has been noted for its restrictive attribute and this research study explores the agency that maths teachers have within the CAPS framework of education. The study focused on understanding the agency which maths teachers experience when implementing the CAPS curriculum and explored the various ways that teachers used their agency in mediating the restrictions experienced in implementing the CAPS curriculum. A case-study approach within a qualitative design was employed. Three maths teachers were selected as this study sought depth of information and relevance. The findings of the study offer an understanding of how practicing maths teachers account for their unique and diverse teaching experiences and provide a contextualized understanding of their agency, and how this shapes teaching and learning.