Optimizing Teaching Research Activities in Chinese Primary Schools through Change Laboratory: A Case Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Professional Development and Praxis: Innovations within Asian Contexts

Abstract

This study explores how the Change Laboratory (CL), grounded in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, was used to optimize Teaching Research Activities (TRAs) in a Chinese primary school. Over six months, early-career teachers collaboratively identified systemic contradictions, developed a new tool—the Micro-Lesson Case Study—and initiated changes in TRA structure and culture. Through eight sessions, teachers moved from passive compliance to agentive participation in an expansive learning cycle. Data from video recordings, artifacts, and interviews revealed dynamic, non-linear shifts between expansive and non-expansive actions. The CL created a hybrid, egalitarian space that fostered professional agency and meaningful dialogue. This research offers a promising model for transforming rigid, top-down professional development into teacher-driven innovation.

Author

• Chunting Diao, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine