Digital Silence as Professional Agency in Online Spaces: Implications for Teacher Identity and Curriculum Implementation

Abstract

In the age of digitized professional learning, teacher engagement is frequently quantified through online attendance and participation metrics. This study challenges that assumption by conceptualizing digital silence as a deliberate form of professional agency and identity work. Drawing on narrative inquiry with 22 teachers from different regions, the research examines how educators navigate emotional, ethical, and institutional dimensions of digital spaces. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and digital diaries, the study reveals that teachers use silence intentionally to establish emotional boundaries, enable reflection, and preserve authenticity amid performative cultures of visibility. The findings demonstrate that silence functions as both a reflective and protective practice, signifying agency in response to algorithmic demands and institutional expectations. This paper advances an integrative model positioning digital silence as a boundary practice within individual, institutional, and cultural contexts. It advocates policy frameworks that value reflective disengagement and emotional sustainability in teacher learning.