| Summary: | Politically mandated development projects get attention in reports, assessments, plans and policies. Less attention is given to the small scale, local development-work made by teachers in schools everywhere, every day (Hultman, 2001). The aim of this study is to make, the small-scale changes that teachers make in their daily practice, visible. Also, this study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of teachers’ changed actions and factors that enable or constrain changed actions. Finally, this study aims to try the analytical concept of agency in relation to the changes teachers make in their daily professional practices. The following research questions have been developed: (1), How do teachers describe the changes they make and have made in their professional practice? (2), What possibilities and limitations do teachers experience when changing their professional-practice? (3), What do teachers wish to change and why? (4), What do teachers think are precipitating factors of change in their own professional practice? (5), How can teacher agency be understood in relation to the described changes in professional practice? Eight teachers from different schools have participated in semi-structured interviews, describing their experience of changes they’ve made in their professional practice. The interviews have been analysed in relation to theories of the three elements of agency developed by Emirbayer and Mische (1998) and further developed in connection to teacher practice by Priestley, Biesta and Robinsson (2015). The study found that teachers change their practice to adjust to new or changing contexts. New experiences, knowledge, ideas or policies can also cause changes in teacher practice. Teachers change their practice when they encounter problems or challenges, assess the consequences of different actions and choose an appropriate way to act. They use their knowledge and experience to identify problems and activate agency to solve them. The study indicates that there is a connection between security and change. Furthermore, it seems to be of importance for teachers and school leaders not only to have common goals but also share the interpretation of problems and the analysis of possible action to solve the problems. The study also found that teachers change their practice to be in alignment with their own goals and aspirations. Even though all teachers abide by common laws and regulations, teachers choose to focus on different parts of the regulations when shaping their goals. The teachers´ goals and aspirations, shape their images of the future they want and play a pivotal role in shaping their actions in the present and in activating agency. The teachers in the study constantly changed their practice in relation to the needs they identify in the local context but also from a genuine interest to learn more, change and improve their professional practice.
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