Understanding the Local Contexts That Shape Teacher Learning

• In Event: Blurring the Boundaries Between Formal and Informal Learning Spaces Through Technology

Abstract

Understanding the Local Contexts that Shape Teacher Learning

Objectives
Teachers work in a complex environment that shapes how and what they learn. However, the majority of studies on teacher learning fail to examine the system of school factors and classroom contexts that shape how teachers acquire and make use of new knowledge. In this study, a Cultural Historical Activity Theory framework was used to examine the complexity of the local contexts that shaped what and how teachers learn.

Theoretical Framework
Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is an analytical tool that allows researchers to examine the contexts that shape an individual’s actions. The unit of analysis is the activity system, which is a complex meditational structure that shapes the collective actions of individuals who are motivated to achieve a goal (Cole, Engeström, & Vasquez, 1997; Engeström, 2000, Leontiev, 1978). The common elements in activity system are the subject, tool, object, outcome, community, rules, and division of labor (Engeström 1987). CHAT provides researchers with an analytical tool for examining how teacher learning is shaped by the variety of elements within their school activity system.

Methods
Research Questions
Using the CHAT framework as a guide, the researcher explored the sociocultural elements within the participants’ school activity systems in order to understand the local contexts that shaped the participants’ learning. The following research question guided the study:
• How is the process of acquiring and implementing new knowledge shaped by the teacher’s local contexts and school activity system?
Data Collection & Analysis
In order to gain a broader understanding of the local contexts that shaped teacher learning, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 10 math teachers from across the country. The interviews were transcribed and the data was analyzed using a theoretical thematic analysis technique (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

Results
The interview participants worked in complex activity systems that shaped their ability to learn and apply their new knowledge in their classrooms. The process of acquiring new knowledge was shaped by competing demands from students, parents, and administrators, the availability of learning tools and support, and the contradictions among the various elements within the participants’ school activity systems. For the teachers in this study, learning was not a simple process of acquiring knowledge from an outside expert. Instead, it was a process of negotiation, where the teachers sought out new knowledge and then determined whether the knowledge could be utilized based on their local classroom and school contexts.

Significance
This study supports Opfer and Pedder’s (2011) and Wilson’s (2013) beliefs that a more complex view of teacher learning is clearly needed. The research on teacher learning needs to be expanded to incorporate the local contexts that shape teaching practice. Additionally, it is essential for researchers and educators to understand the contexts that shape teaching and learning in order to design more effective teacher-centered learning opportunities.

Author

• Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts - Amherst