lyl symposium vfinal

ISCAR Congress Rome 2011 Symposium-Cultural-Historical Activity Theory as a Powerful Tool Kit for Educational Research and Practice: Methodological Issues

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Methodological Issues to Consider when Conducting CHAT Educational Research with Activity Systems AnalysisLisa C. Yamagata-LynchAssociate Professor

University of Tennessee Knoxville

[email protected]


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Presentation GoalsStart discussion among CHAT

scholars on how to conduct research while understanding and communicating transformative relationships between the organism and the environment

Or maybe there are conversations taking place, but we are not all conversing together so lets get together


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North American CHATEducational ResearchSince the late 1980s there has been a

growing interest in theoretical paradigms that capture complex learning environments for understanding the relationship between the organism and the environment

CHAT is one of several theoretical frameworks that has become popular

The number of consumers of CHAT in educational research has grown


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North American Introduction to CHATCole (1985, 1996) and Wertsch

(1981, 1985) introduced Vygotsky’s work

Engeström (1987, 1993) introduced activity systems analysis as part of the expansive learning model

The number of consumers of activity systems analysis as a data analysis tool grew, whether the work was interventionist or not


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Applications of CHAT in North American Educational Research

Many treat activity systems analysis as an independent descriptive methodology

Activity systems analysis is applied as a borrowed method in a manner that quantitative researchers choose one statistical method over another


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North American Discussions on CHATServes as a theoretical perspective

for interpreting human interactions from a relational ontology

Lack of discussion on:◦Methodological guidance on how to

engage in research from this perspective (Yamagata-Lynch, 2010)

◦How to capture and communicate human interaction as a transformative process (Stetsenko, 2009)


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Is this a problem?Not much public discussion among

the CHAT community whether this is problematic or not

It can be difficult for:◦Newcomers to engage in CHAT research◦CHAT community to develop a set of

agreed-upon, trustworthy methodologies

◦Engaging in meaningful transformative research


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North American Applications of ASAUsed primarily in qualitative

educational research as a descriptive tool to: ◦Capture organizational change processes◦Identify how to design constructivist

learning environments ◦Identify systemic contradictions and

tensions that shape developments in educational settings

◦Demonstrate historical developments in organizational learning


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ASA Advantages in Educational Research

Provides new methods for researchers to extract the essence of complex data sets in a graphic model that they can communicate with others (Yamagata-Lynch, 2010)

Can capture educational change as it occurs rather than as it is hypothesized to occur (Rasmussen & Ludvigsen, 2009)


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Advantages During Analysis (Yamagata-Lynch, 2010)

Work with a manageable units of analysis

Find systemic implicationsUnderstand systemic

contradictions and tensionsCommunicate findings from the

analysesThere are probably more


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Methodological Issues that need Further Discussion in North America

Unit of AnalysisTheory and Methodology

CoherenceGeneralizability IssuesSimplification Issues in Analysis


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Unit of AnalysisResearchers and practitioners need to

understand Vygotsky’s work on mediated action and subsequent works by Russian scholars to conceptualize the transformative unit of analysis in CHAT as object-oriented activity

Activity includes both observable experiences and mental activities (El’konin, 1993, Galperin, 1989, Stetsenko & Arievitch, 1997)


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Unit of Analysis (continued)Need to effectively communicate

meanings associated with subject, tool, object, rules, community, division of labor, outcomes, tensions, and systemic contradictions within the mediated action framework


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Theory and Methodology CoherenceMake object-oriented activity as

the unit of analysis consistentlyDon’t walk away from CHAT once

it is introduced in the literature review

Showcase a series of mediated actions with accompanying narratives in data analysis and presentation


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Theory and Methodology Coherence (continued)

Discuss, in the findings, how CHAT as a theoretical framework and ASA as a methodological framework contributed to the investigation


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Generalizability IssuesNeed to be aware and honest

that investigative goals are not to make generalizable claims

CHAT research is interested in what Stake (1995) refers to as “petite generalization” that focuses on particularization


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Generalizability Issues (continued)

Through research and practice CHAT scholars gain and share understandings of complex human activities by particularization


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Simplification Issues in AnalysisBe aware that while ASA is

designed to understand real-world complex situations, it cannot represent the complexities in its entirety (Yamagata-Lynch, 2003)

Be systematic and purposeful about how participant experiences are introduced in narrative data


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Simplification Issues in Analysis (continued)

Focus on identifying, summarizing, and reporting activities that are essential and relevant to the research questions in order to provide a trustworthy interpretation of the data set


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Conclusion about North American CHAT in Educational Research

CHAT scholars need to engage in discussions related to methodological issues to understand, capture, and communicate human learning as a transformative experience


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Questions & Discussions

lyl symposium vfinal

Education

historical activity

chat educational research

activity systems analysislisa

growniscar congress

notiscar congress rome

togetheriscar congress

methodological guidance

methodological issues1