The role of beliefs in teacher agency by Gert Biesta, Mark Priestley, and Sarah Robinson explores how teachers' beliefs influence their professional agency within educational contexts. The paper discusses the tension between policies that seek to reduce teacher autonomy and those that promote it. While some view teacher agency as a weakness, others argue it is essential for meaningful education. The authors analyze a two-year study on teacher agency in the context of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, focusing on teachers' beliefs about children, teaching, and the purposes of education. Teachers' beliefs are seen as crucial to their ability to exercise agency, but there is a mismatch between individual beliefs and institutional discourses. The study highlights that teachers' beliefs often reflect a narrow, short-term focus, influenced by policy language and a lack of clear professional vision. This limits their ability to fully engage with curriculum reforms. The paper theorizes agency as an emergent process shaped by past experiences, future aspirations, and practical engagement. It emphasizes the importance of context, structure, and the interplay between these factors in shaping teacher agency. Teachers' beliefs about children and their abilities, their role as facilitators, and the purposes of education are central to their agency. The study reveals tensions in teachers' beliefs, including a deficit view of children and a focus on short-term goals. Teachers often see education primarily in terms of qualification, with a concomitant emphasis on completing the curriculum. However, there is also a growing recognition of the importance of skills, personal responsibility, and student-centered learning. The paper concludes that teachers' beliefs significantly influence their ability to exercise agency. A narrow focus on short-term goals and a lack of long-term educational purpose limit their capacity to fully engage with curriculum reforms. The authors argue that a more comprehensive understanding of educational purposes and values is necessary to enhance teacher agency and improve the quality of education.The role of beliefs in teacher agency by Gert Biesta, Mark Priestley, and Sarah Robinson explores how teachers' beliefs influence their professional agency within educational contexts. The paper discusses the tension between policies that seek to reduce teacher autonomy and those that promote it. While some view teacher agency as a weakness, others argue it is essential for meaningful education. The authors analyze a two-year study on teacher agency in the context of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, focusing on teachers' beliefs about children, teaching, and the purposes of education. Teachers' beliefs are seen as crucial to their ability to exercise agency, but there is a mismatch between individual beliefs and institutional discourses. The study highlights that teachers' beliefs often reflect a narrow, short-term focus, influenced by policy language and a lack of clear professional vision. This limits their ability to fully engage with curriculum reforms. The paper theorizes agency as an emergent process shaped by past experiences, future aspirations, and practical engagement. It emphasizes the importance of context, structure, and the interplay between these factors in shaping teacher agency. Teachers' beliefs about children and their abilities, their role as facilitators, and the purposes of education are central to their agency. The study reveals tensions in teachers' beliefs, including a deficit view of children and a focus on short-term goals. Teachers often see education primarily in terms of qualification, with a concomitant emphasis on completing the curriculum. However, there is also a growing recognition of the importance of skills, personal responsibility, and student-centered learning. The paper concludes that teachers' beliefs significantly influence their ability to exercise agency. A narrow focus on short-term goals and a lack of long-term educational purpose limit their capacity to fully engage with curriculum reforms. The authors argue that a more comprehensive understanding of educational purposes and values is necessary to enhance teacher agency and improve the quality of education.