Why we stopped teaching solo: Exercising language teachers’ relational agency in co-teaching

This study examines how language teachers enact relational agency to address language, culture, pedagogy, and power differentials in co-teaching, using Edwards’ (2007, 2010) conceptualization grounded in cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Through qualitative analysis of interviews with a local English language teacher and a native English-speaking teacher co-teaching at a Chinese university, the findings show relational agency is manifested in three core practices: establishing mutual support for professional learning, flexibly shifting roles to leverage complementary expertise, and consistently recognizing and integrating each other’s relational expertise. Central to this process is the dynamic co-construction of common knowledge, which mediates their joint action and progressively expands the shared object of activity from language instruction to encompass intercultural understanding and professional growth. The study demonstrates how relational agency transforms potential disparities into productive resources, enabling more equitable and sustainable co-teaching partnerships.