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Examining Authorial Agency in Elementary Children's Narratives

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Title: Examining Authorial Agency in Elementary Children's Narratives
Language: English
Authors: Mary Ryan (ORCID 0000-0003-2237-9368), Maryam Khosronejad (ORCID 0000-0001-9749-5000)
Source: Classroom Discourse. 2025 16(1):52-67.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Story Telling, Social Influences, Cultural Influences, Authors, Literary Devices, Personal Autonomy, Power Structure, Parent Child Relationship, Peer Relationship
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1080/19463014.2024.2360417
ISSN: 1946-3014
1946-3022
Abstract: This paper investigates stories written by children and aims to reveal how children resist or neutralise the social and cultural conditions in their writing. We draw on Archer's critical realist theory of agency and structure and Stephens' conceptualisation of agency as a relational experience that involves intersubjectivity. Looking at 8 stories written by year 5 and year 6 children, we explore how children exercise agency and challenge the sociocultural conditions. Our analysis explores children's authorial choices about discourse (language), story (characters, action, and settings) and significance (values and worldviews) and how these choices shape the author's agency or portray the agency of the characters. Overall, positioning against the sociocultural conditions is achieved and exercised through the child's position as the author or through the child's depiction of the characters and the use of 'subject positions' in stories. Findings suggest that agency is exercised in relation to a range of conditions including the laws of nature, normative social relations, interpersonal relationships, authoritative or passive parenting, and the socio-political context. The results shed light on narratives as spaces for children to practice agency and calls for pedagogical approaches that position children as active and capable participants of a classroom. Implications are discussed for education.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493551
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Examining Authorial Agency in Elementary Children's Narratives
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mary+Ryan%22">Mary Ryan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2237-9368">0000-0003-2237-9368</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maryam+Khosronejad%22">Maryam Khosronejad</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9749-5000">0000-0001-9749-5000</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Classroom+Discourse%22"><i>Classroom Discourse</i></searchLink>. 2025 16(1):52-67.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: Y
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  Label: Page Count
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  Data: 16
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Story+Telling%22">Story Telling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Influences%22">Social Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Authors%22">Authors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literary+Devices%22">Literary Devices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personal+Autonomy%22">Personal Autonomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+Structure%22">Power Structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/19463014.2024.2360417
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  Label: ISSN
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  Data: 1946-3014<br />1946-3022
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This paper investigates stories written by children and aims to reveal how children resist or neutralise the social and cultural conditions in their writing. We draw on Archer's critical realist theory of agency and structure and Stephens' conceptualisation of agency as a relational experience that involves intersubjectivity. Looking at 8 stories written by year 5 and year 6 children, we explore how children exercise agency and challenge the sociocultural conditions. Our analysis explores children's authorial choices about discourse (language), story (characters, action, and settings) and significance (values and worldviews) and how these choices shape the author's agency or portray the agency of the characters. Overall, positioning against the sociocultural conditions is achieved and exercised through the child's position as the author or through the child's depiction of the characters and the use of 'subject positions' in stories. Findings suggest that agency is exercised in relation to a range of conditions including the laws of nature, normative social relations, interpersonal relationships, authoritative or passive parenting, and the socio-political context. The results shed light on narratives as spaces for children to practice agency and calls for pedagogical approaches that position children as active and capable participants of a classroom. Implications are discussed for education.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1493551
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        Value: 10.1080/19463014.2024.2360417
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 52
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Story Telling
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      – SubjectFull: Social Influences
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
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      – SubjectFull: Authors
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      – SubjectFull: Literary Devices
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      – SubjectFull: Personal Autonomy
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      – SubjectFull: Power Structure
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Australia
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