Educators can strengthen children's participation, influence and decision-making in everyday practice by ensuring children’s agency.
A strong understanding of how children exercise choice, influence and participation helps educators demonstrate how children contribute to planning, assessment and curriculum decision-making, and supports educators to design responsive programs and demonstrate quality practice under the National Quality Framework.
Agency is defined as being able to make choices and decisions to influence events and to have an impact on one’s world. Children’s agency is a key element of high-quality practice.
While the concept is embedded throughout the National Quality Standard and the Approved Learning Frameworks, developing a meaningful understanding of how children influence their learning and environment requires ongoing reflection and professional learning.
Under Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard, educational programs are required to be child-centered and responsive to children’s strengths, interests and ideas.
Supporting children's agency also aligns with Child Safe Standards 3 by creating environments where children are encouraged to express their views and participate in decisions that affect them.
Understanding agency in practice
Child directed learning refers to a child’s capacity to make choices, express ideas, influence decisions and actively participate in their learning and environment.
How children demonstrate influence and participation in decision-making varies depending on their age, development, communication style, culture and context.
Understanding agency means recognising children are capable contributors whose perspectives can shape curriculum decisions and significantly contribute to decisions across the program.
Educators can strengthen their understanding of agency by:
- engaging with the Approved Learning Frameworks
- participating in professional discussions and critical reflection
- observing how children make choices, solve problems and influence play experiences
- reflecting on how routines, environments and teaching approaches either support or limit children's participation
- seeking children's feedback through conversations, observations, drawings, photographs and other forms of communication to assess learning and development.
From understanding to embedding
Once educators have developed a deeper understanding of children’s capacity to influence their learning and environment, they can intentionally embed it within educational programs. This may include:
- observing children's interests and incorporating them into experiences and projects
- providing genuine opportunities for choice and decision-making
- involving children in discussions about environments and learning experiences
- using children's feedback to adapt programs and teaching strategies
- revisiting decisions with children to demonstrate their views are valued and acted upon.
An educator’s understanding of children’s participation and influence can also inform Quality Improvement Plan development.
When reflecting against Quality Area 1, educators may consider how effectively children’s voices influence planning, decision-making and continuous improvement activities.
By linking children’s participation and influence to Quality Improvement Plan goals and actions (DOCX), educators can demonstrate a deliberate and systematic approach to embedding children's voices within educational programs and practice.
Supporting children’s participation also contributes to child safety.
The Child Safe Standards emphasise the importance of empowering children to express their views and participate in decisions that affect them. Creating environments where children are listened to and respected strengthens both wellbeing and protective practices.
Resources
- National Quality Standard (Quality Area 1) – ACECQA
- Supporting Agency: Involving Children in Decision-Making – ACECQA
- Guide to the National Quality Framework – ACECQA
- Belonging, Being and Becoming – Early Years Learning Framework
- My Time Our Place (MTOP) – Framework For School Aged Care
- Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
- Victorian Child Safe Standards
- Children's Agency and Participation – ACECQA
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