TEACHERS AS BEHAVIOURAL AGENTS IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING IN NIGERIA: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES, CLASSROOM PRACTICES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY

In Nigeria's profoundly multilingual and sociolinguistically complex landscape, where over 500 indigenous languages coexist alongside English as the sole official language and medium of instruction, the second language (L2) teacher occupies a position of exceptional behavioural consequence. This paper examines the construct of teacher behavioural agency in the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Nigerian educational contexts, arguing that the behaviours, dispositions, relational practices, and epistemic orientations of L2 teachers function not merely as instructional tools but as formative social forces that shape learners' linguistic, motivational, and identity trajectories. Drawing on a systematic synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship published between 2020 and 2025, and grounded in Bandura's (1977, 1986) Social Cognitive Theory, Dörnyei's (2001) motivational teaching practice framework, and contemporary theorisations of teacher agency, this paper advances a conceptual framework articulating four interrelated domains of teacher behavioural agency in the Nigerian ESL classroom: (1) instructional behaviour and pedagogical decision-making; (2) motivational and affective behaviour; (3) relational and identity-constituting behaviour; and (4) professional and institutional behaviour. For each domain, the paper examines how teacher behaviours operate as agentic forces, the contextual constraints unique to Nigeria that shape and often constrain their expression, and the pedagogical and policy strategies that can enable more effective behavioural agency. The paper contends that rethinking the Nigerian ESL teacher as a behavioural agent—rather than merely a curriculum deliverer—has significant implications for teacher education, professional development policy, and the broader project of improving English language learning outcomes across Nigeria's heterogeneous educational landscape.