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Explore the research background, literature review, methodology, initial findings, and conclusions on teachers' practical knowledge dynamics. Investigate projects and theories shaping teacher professionalism and educational reform.
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ISCAR Summer University, MSUPE, Moscow, July, 2016 The Dynamics of Teachers’ Practical Knowledge:from the cultural-historical activity theoretical perspective Ge Wei Peking University University of Helsinki
Outline • I. Research Background • II. Literature Review • III. Methodology • IV. Initial Findings • V. Conclusions
Research Background • Projects: • National Funds for Research on Humanities and Social Sciences (2009-2013) • “Knowledge transition and identity formation of student teachers” • Beijing Municipal Educational Science Project (2011-2014) • “Teacher practical knowledge: Chinese socio-cultural perspective ” • Sino-Finnish International Project (2015-) • “Teacher professional agency” • Hong Kong Yuen Yuen Foundation for Junior Researchers (2014-2015) • “A study on the dynamics of teacher practical knowledge” • Research Scholarship at the University of Helsinki (2015-2016) • “CHAT and teacher practical knowledge”
Research Background • John Hattie (2008): more than 800 meta-analyses, and more than 50,000 empirical research studies • The holy grail of teaching and learning • Educational reform
HOLISTIC Individual-Experiential1980s Socio-Cultural2000s STATIC DYNAMIC Analytic-Rational1970s Praxis-Reflective1990s ANALYTIC Content-Perspective Matrix The dynamics of TPK
The Initial Puzzle • Resources : causal research • If A, then B ? • Mechanisms : mechanical research (Elster, 2007) • What happened in the process from A to B? Descriptive vs. Explanatory (Vygotsky, 1997) • The initial questions: • How to unpack the interactive process among various sources of TPK? • How to describe the generative mechanisms of TPK?
Cultural Historical Activity Theory • Marx, Engels, Spinoza • Gesellschaftlich • Free will, agency, etc. • Vygotsky and Vygotskian School • Methodology • Cultural-historical psychology • CHAT • Activity system, mediation, contradictions, historicity, etc.
Basic Viewpoints • The nature of dynamics of TPK is the interaction among different activity systems • Teachers, under the help of artifacts(visible and invisible), based on the rules and division of labor in certain communities, negotiate their meanings with other activity systems, then create the third space—knowledge space—between working space and problematic space. • TPK is embedded in the knowledge space
Focusing the Research Questions • Q1 (Situations) • What are the contradictions teachers usually meet in their workplace? • Context, nature, characteristics, historical roots • The effectiveness and limitations of problem-solving • The relation with other kind of problems
Q2 (Mechanisms) • How do teachers generate, transfer and develop their practical knowledge in their workplace? • Teachers • Artifacts • Rules and division of labor • Objects • Models (Davydov, 1990)
Q3 (Outcomes) • What kinds of TPK do the teachers generate? • Representations • Categories • Evidences
Q4 (Implications) • How to understand TPK further? How is TPD possible? • From individual to collective (public) • Teacher as the unity of knowledge acquisition, transference and creation • Multi-dimensions of teacher learning
Methodology Source: Crotty (1998)
Artifacts Outcomes Teachers Problems ConstructivistGoundedTheoryApproach • 1.Data collection,case A, keyconcepts • 2.Initialconceptualframwork • 3.Case B, micro-analysis (Corbin & Strauss, 2008)
Artifacts Teachers Problems Division of Labor Rules Community • 4. Theoretical sampling, similar case C
[CONCEPTS] Dynamics of TPK [CATEGORY1] DynamicA [CATEGORY 2] DynamicB [PROPERTY1] Problem-solving [PROPERTY 2] Power-division [PROPERTY 3] Action-norms →[DIMENSIONS] Vertical----Horizantal Bad------Good Implicite----Explicite • 5.Theoretical sampling, different case D
Compare Theory: CHAT Triangulation Propose Compare Compare Revision Similar Cases Confirmation Generating Knowledge in Qualitative Research Compare Revision Compare Revision Käyttäytymistieteellinen tiedekunta / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi
Case 3: CyclicalModel Multi-level historical analysis (Scribner, 1997) • Teacher as researcher (Stenhouse, 1983) • School-basedteacherresearch (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993) • Guangming Primary School’s governance • Teacherresearch and theirpracticalknowledge
2. TypicalSituations • Weekly meeting (2014-2015) and the conflicts • Contradictary-drivenprocess Source: Engeström, 1987/2015
3. Dynamics of TPK Primary contradiction • Value and use value • School governance and the needs for teacherprofessionaldevelopment • Questioning: teacher as researcher ?
Secondarycontradiction • Doublebind, cul-de-sac: what can we do? • Problemanalysis: historicity of school culture, teacher culture, etc.
Episode (2014/10/24)[Exploringtheproblems in Guangming School as researchtopics] • Gwan: I thinkourschooldidn’tdowell on…Shouldwehaveweeklymeetings for teachersfromdifferentsubjects? Sothatwecouldknowkidsfromdifferentperspectives, instead of thedividedsubjects. • Dr. Qian: This is a substantiveissue. Wedon’tknowwhethercouldthis suggestion becomeschoolpolicy. Weneed to examinewhetherwehavesupportsornot. • Gwan: This…I… • Dr. Qian: Youhavenow a mind of problemsolving, butnot a mind for researching. • Si: I think,the reason why Gwansaid this is that he really has some words want to say. • Yuen: I knowyourmeaning, Dr. Qian. Weshouldberationaland keepneutral. Don’tbetrappedbyourfeelings. But, howcouldwedo?
Tertiarycontradiction • Differentobjects and differentmindsets • The germ-cell: A Culture-of-doing and a culture-of –thinking • (Note: It is an abstract concept that includes and makes visible the inner contradiction and possibilities for managing it.)
Mediation: talking and writing • Dialogue • Genre • Reflectivejournals • Writing as a way of knowing • Intellectually and emotionally • Reflexivity
Key Learning Mechanism CODES
4. Outcomes of TPK Source: Anderson & Herr, 1997
Conclusions and Implications • Conclusions: • Teacherpracticalknowledge is situation-specific. • Three types(embedded, expanded, and cyclical) of the dynamics of TPK has been modelled. • Development of TPK comesfromthehistoricalcontradiction and currentconflicts. • Dialecticalnatures of TPK (e.g. personal vs. public, internal vs. external, etc.) arerevealled. • Implications: • Practicalimplications for in-serviceteacherlearning and development. • Methedological implication between grounded theory and theoretical abstraction in CHAT.
Thanks for your attention! Ge Wei ge.wei@helsinki.fi