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Using Activity Theory to Help Teachers Redesign their Practice

This presentation explores how Activity Theory was employed to help teachers redesign their practice in a junior high school in Helsinki, Finland. The intervention involved analyzing contradictions, constructing a vision, and implementing concrete steps towards improving the school's activity system, including placing computers in the corridors for students to use during recess. Ethnographic documentation and benchmarking were used to support the process. The outcome of the intervention was a positive change in the physical work environment of the school.

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Using Activity Theory to Help Teachers Redesign their Practice

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  1. Using Activity Theory to Help Teachers Redesign their Practice Yrjö Engeström University of Helsinki Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research

  2. The Site • A Junior High School in Helsinki, Finland • More than 30% of the students from recent immigrant or refugee families

  3. The Intervention • Change Laboratory: 11 weekly meetings in the fall 1998 and winter 1999 • 26 teachers and research group • analyzed contradictions • constructed a vision • designed concrete steps toward the vision for the activity system of the school

  4. Focus of this presentation • One concrete step: putting computers in the corridors for students to use during recess • Part of improving the physical work environment of the school

  5. Expansive cycle of learning

  6. Ethnographic documentation Ethnographic documentation

  7. Fall 1998:”There is nothing to do…and no place to sit!”

  8. Students:”They could put a computer there… … but it wouldn’t stay there for long”

  9. Mirror Ethnographic documentation Mirror

  10. CHANGE LAB SESSION 2 Novice teacher:”There were computers in the corridor of my previous school”

  11. Benchmarking and sharpening of contrasts Ethnographic documentation Mirror Benchmarking and sharpening of contrasts

  12. CHANGE LAB SESSION 3 ”Students use computers during recess, no problems” Computer teacher from another Junior High School:

  13. Documentation of resistance and innovation Ethnographic documentation Mirror Benchmarking and sharpening of contrasts Documentation of resistance and innovation

  14. CHANGE LAB SESSION 3 Contradiction I:Apathy vs. Energy

  15. CHANGE LAB SESSION 3 Contradiction II:Control vs. Trust

  16. Contradictions in the activity system

  17. CHANGE LAB SESSION 9 Teacher:”It’s not impossible but…”

  18. Documentation of change Ethnographic documentation Documentation of change Mirror Benchmarking and sharpening of contrasts Documentation of resistance and innovation

  19. A year later:The computers are there!(and so are the sofas)

  20. Thank You!

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