This article explores the experiences of a group of established academic staff in New Zealand and the UK, as they undertake a doctorate in their home institutions. Our interest is in how individuals negotiate this dual status from a cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) stance that explores how rules, tools, community and divisions of labour,…

The purpose of this paper was to review literature on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and how it has been used to understand the mediation between emerging technologies and teaching and learning in a mathematics classroom. Specifically, it aimed at understanding the genesis of CHAT and further analyzing the studies that have…

This project investigated the curriculum of a new industry-collaborative PhD in technology innovation. While the programme was in its early stages, we focused on conceptualising its curricular design with the aim of unpacking its complexity and, where possible, mitigating its tensions. The use of an activity theory framework to delineate the…

This article discusses six theoretical frameworks of disability which dominate studies of dyslexia: (1) the biomedical, (2) the biopsychosocial, (3) the social model, (4) the critical realist, (5) the post-structuralistic, and (6) the neurodivergent approach. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how models of disability alter our understandings…

This paper presents insights into the leadership implications of recent shifts in a range of policy contexts towards notions of collaboration and partnership. The paper draws on empirical research into the formation and operation of government instituted networks in the context of education in Victoria, Australia. From 2001, School Networks and…

This article discusses the use of an activity theory system as an analytical tool within the school art and design classroom. It highlights reasons for its use and makes explicit its importance for investigations into teaching and learning. It proposes that through an activity theory system, teachers and researchers are enabled to reflect on the…

This chapter evaluates Dewey's thinking in relation to the theorization of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). It compares Dewey's concepts with ideas from social realism, Vygotsky, and cultural historical activity theory, illustrated by PLA research in South Africa.

Background: Research suggests that, in spite of legislation, the process of transition from school is problematic for most young people with disabilities. Best practices in transition emphasise the importance of providing personalised transition supports. This study, which took place in Ireland, aimed to explore the application of social role…

School improvement frameworks and their associated reform efforts often have limited durability and are frequently not fully implemented. Improving their viability, requires a more realistic understanding of contextual organisational structures and the school culture in which the reform is to be implemented. Internationally, and in Australia…

General legislation as well as legislation specifically regulating education in South Africa is aimed at the protection and advancement of the best interests of children (learners). Developments in the school education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, which reached the shores of South Africa in March 2020, starkly underscored that not only the…

The issue of how schools work in partnership with each other and with other organisations has always been of interest to school leaders, policymakers, and practitioners. This article adds to the body of research on partnerships in part by focussing on school to school partnerships and in part through the use of activity theory as an analytical…

This study aims to understand how pre-service teachers' activities shape (and are shaped) by the norms of schooling embedded in the national educational system from an activity theory lens. The data are obtained from video-recordings and bi-weekly reflective journals in microteaching sessions, lesson plans, classroom observations, and post…

Being a complex social process, open and distance learning includes many different dynamics and interaction elements. Activity theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding complex human interactions and the lack of appropriate methods to address the complexity of online learning environments. The main purpose of this study is to…

Late modern social theories and critiques of neoliberalism have emphasised the regulatory and negative aspects of responsibility, readily associating it with self-responsibility or analytically converting it to the notion of responsibilisation. This article argues for stepping back from these critiques in order to reframe responsibility as a…

This study is investigating the relationships between playing video games and aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. The participants are Male and female Saudi college students at Taibah University. The study conducted for two main purposes. Examining correlations between the amount of violence in video games played and aggressive…