Examining agency as teachers use mathematics curriculum resources: How professional contexts may support or inhibit student-centered instruction.

Content and discourse analysis of interviews with two elementary teachers revealed how they perceived features of their professional contexts as supports or constraints on their agency to create student-centered instruction as they planned from mathematics curriculum resources. Comparison of the cases suggested two cross-case themes: (1) Standards and assessments served as a particularly strong constraint on teachers' agency, and (2) Teachers often found or created space to consider students even when they felt constrained by context; occasionally, considerations of students even overpowered otherwise constraining effects of standards. Implications for supporting student-centered mathematics instruction are discussed. • Creating student-centered instruction from math curriculum resources requires teacher agency. • Grade-level standards served as a strong constraint on teacher agency. • Teachers created space to consider students even within constraints. • Student needs sometimes overpowered the effects of constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]