#41: The Impact of Discourse in Knowledge Building Teacher Communities on Professional Agency in Interdisciplinary Instructional Design

This study examines how discourse within a Knowledge-Building (KB) teacher community shapes professional agency in interdisciplinary instructional design. Sixty-nine teachers participated in collaborative design tasks, and their discourse was categorized into sharing-oriented and knowledge-building-oriented groups. Mixed-method analyses revealed a shift from exploratory sharing to knowledge-building discourse, characterized by negotiation and integration of teaching strategies. Teachers’ professional agency improved across all dimensions, particularly in positive interdependence and collective efficacy. The findings underscore the critical role of knowledge-building discourse in fostering teacher agency and supporting interdisciplinary instructional innovation.