How does the learning environment in teacher education cultivate first year student teachers' sense of professional agency in the professional community

This study investigated Finnish first year student teachers' (N = 244) sense of professional agency in the professional community, their perceptions of teacher education as a learning environment, and the interrelation between these two. Student teacher's professional agency in the professional community consists of motivation to learn, efficacy beliefs of learning, and intentional strategies for promoting school development and student learning. The results showed that student teachers' sense of professional agency in a professional community consisted of the complementary components of utilization of feedback, appreciation of collective efficacy, sense of community, striving for developments, and seeking help actively. As the characteristics of the learning environment, social support, equality, climate and recognition were emphasized. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.