NARRATIVE IDENTITY, AGENCY AND AUTONOMY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INVENTION SKILLS AMONG CHILDREN: IMPLICATION FOR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This paper examines the possible relationship between narrative identity, agency, autonomy, and the development of invention skills among children. Drawing on narrative identity theory, Bandura's theory of human agency, and Self-Determination Theory, the paper proposes that children's developing self-narratives may influence how they approach problems, respond to failure, and perceive their ability to create new possibilities. The development of invention skills among children is increasingly recognized as an important component of contemporary education because of its potential to promote creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, and innovation. However, discussions of children's inventive development have tended to emphasize cognitive and instructional processes, with comparatively less attention given to how children understand themselves as capable actors. Agency and autonomy are conceptualized as important mechanisms through which children experience themselves as active agents in learning and invention. The paper further argues that invention provides a practical context in which children can exercise agency, make decisions, experiment, and review ideas, with possible implications for educational achievement and wellbeing. The paper suggests that invention education should attend not only to what children learn to create but also to how they come to understand themselves as capable creators.