Journal of Childhood

Introduction
The concept of learner agency in children has emerged as a foundational and novel construct in educational and psychological sciences, attracting significant attention from researchers and policymakers. This multidimensional construct emphasizes the child’s active, conscious, and purposeful role in directing their learning process, positioning them not as a passive recipient but as an effective agent in their own development. Learner agency is intrinsically linked to the quality of learning, mental health, and holistic child development, fostering autonomy, resilience, and intrinsic motivation. It empowers learners to make meaningful choices, set personal goals, reflect on their progress, and confront challenges with self-confidence. 
Despite its critical importance, the existing literature suffers from conceptual fragmentation, with diverse definitions, theoretical approaches, and methodological frameworks leading to inconsistencies in operationalization and measurement. Furthermore, there is a clear absence of a comprehensive, integrated framework that coherently explains the core dimensions of learner agency—cognitive, emotional, social, behavioral, and environmental—alongside its underlying mechanisms and contextual factors. Therefore, this study was designed with the primary aim of identifying valid empirical indicators and proposing a coherent, evidence-based conceptual framework for understanding learner agency in children. By synthesizing findings from diverse educational studies, this framework seeks to clarify how learner agency functions as a facilitator for effective learning and the promotion of children's well-being, thereby providing a robust theoretical guide for designing curricula, instructional methods, and educational policies aimed at nurturing self-regulated, empowered, and psychologically resilient learners.
Research Methods
This study employed a synthetic research approach grounded in a systematic review of theoretical literature. The initial research population comprised 783 credible scientific documents extracted from international databases and national scientific repositories. A multi-stage screening process was applied based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, including publication year, methodological rigor, language, and direct relevance to learner agency. This rigorous process resulted in the final selection of 53 high-quality studies for in-depth analysis. These selected studies encompassed diverse educational contexts, age groups, and cultural settings, which significantly enhanced the analytical depth and transferability of the findings. Data extraction and thematic analysis were conducted using Elo and Kyngäs’ qualitative content analysis method, involving stages of open coding, categorization, and conceptual abstraction to identify both manifest and latent meanings within the data. To ensure inter-coder reliability and enhance the validity of the analysis, two independent researchers coded a portion of the data, yielding a Cohen's Kappa coefficient of K=0.82, indicating a high level of agreement beyond chance. This systematic and coherent analytical process enabled the identification, organization, and integration of core concepts, ultimately leading to the development of a multidimensional conceptual structure of learner agency. 
Results
The findings of this research demonstrated that learner agency in children is a dynamic, context-dependent, and multidimensional construct that manifests across five interconnected primary domains: cognitive, social, behavioral, emotional, and environmental. Each domain comprises a set of interrelated factors that shape the child's learning experience and promote psychological well-being both independently and through complex interactions. The cognitive domain encompasses metacognitive awareness, self-regulation, and goal-setting. The social domain refers to peer collaboration, the quality of teacher-student relationships, and communicative competence. The behavioral dimension reflects initiative, perseverance, and active engagement in learning tasks. The emotional domain includes components, such as self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and resilience.
 Finally, the environmental dimension pertains to the classroom climate, access to learning resources, and the cultural sensitivity of the learning environment. Thematic analysis revealed that these dimensions do not operate in isolation or in a hierarchical manner; instead, they form a highly interactive and intertwined network. The strengthening or weakening of any single dimension can have a cascading effect on the others. For instance, a supportive and resource-rich learning environment can enhance a child's sense of social belonging, which in turn can bolster his/her emotional motivation and lead to more persistent and engaged learning behaviors. This systemic perspective underscores the necessity of adopting holistic, ecology-of-learning-based instructional approaches that simultaneously attend to and nurture all dimensions of learner agency, rather than focusing on them in a fragmented way.
Conclusion
The proposed framework positions learner agency not as a mere outcome of successful learning, but as a fundamental capacity for self-direction, responsibility, and psychological equilibrium in the child. The five interconnected domains provide a comprehensive map for understanding how children navigate their learning worlds. The cognitive and behavioral dimensions establish the foundation for executive function and lifelong learning, while the social and emotional dimensions provide the necessary psychological safety and relational context for intrinsic motivation and active participation. The environmental dimension acts as the crucial catalyst that can either enable or constrain the expression of agency across all other domains. Despite limitations inherent in a review study, such as dependence on the quality of existing primary research and some residual conceptual heterogeneity in the literature, the findings strongly emphasize the necessity of designing integrated, child-centered curricula and pedagogical practices that holistically strengthen all facets of agency. Future research should prioritize experimental, longitudinal, and cross-cultural designs to empirically validate this framework and to investigate the specific roles of diverse educational contexts and interventions in the development and long-term impact of learner agency on academic achievement and overall child well-being. 
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This article is derived from a doctoral dissertation approved by the University of Birjand with proposal code number 11713. All ethical considerations and standards were fully observed in the preparation of this research. 
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. 
Authors contributions
All authors contributed equally to the writing of the article, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and preparation of the final manuscript. 


Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.