The case of a collaborative study circle Discovering learning processes through cultural historical activity theory perspective The case of a collaborative study circle jean-marie nau 29/12/2018

jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Context Bahá’í Faith & Collaborative study circle individual & social transformation, voluntary participation Books 1-8 Worldwide practice, 5-6 million participants

Significance - implications jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Significance - implications Collaborative, participative learning Tutor-student relationships CHAT as a tool Future of learning

Research questions … through CHAT observations jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Research questions … through CHAT observations What are some of the affordances and hindrances to learning in the activity? How are tools used; how they guide action? Is expansive learning taking place?

Literature review on learning jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Literature review on learning Monologic / dialogic speech (Bakhtin) acquisition metaphor / participation metaphor & danger of choosing one (Sfard 1998) People engaged process collective learning shared domain human endeavour form community of practice - domain, community, practice (Wenger 1999) situated learning theory - motivation to learn stems participation culturally valued collaborative practices useful production (Lave & Wenger, 1991)

Literature review on learning jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Literature review on learning Bateson’s (1972) theory of learning – 3 levels conditioning, acquisition of responses deemed correct in a given context Acquisition of rules, patterns of behaviour characteristic to context Radical questioning of sense & meaning of context leading to construction of wider alternative

Theoretical perspective on learning jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Theoretical perspective on learning systemic & heuristic activity = unit of analysis 3 generations who-where-why-what-how

Discourse analysis as method jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Discourse analysis as method discourse – language in use Discourse – discourse communities (academic, husband, teacher, Bahá’í) Situatedness (Gee, J. P. 2005)

Data Video recording, 5 sessions – 10hours jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Data Video recording, 5 sessions – 10hours Written questionnaire before session 1 Informal interview after session 5 My own notes over period of 6 months

Data sample 1: monologic speech, session 1 jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Data sample 1: monologic speech, session 1 1 Anne Pour moi c’est une question de de langage, alors je suis assez surprise de lire « enseigner les (..) en enseignant dES enfants », d’après moi on enseigne aUX enfants 2 Tutor hm 3 Ça revient (2) « lorsque nous enseignons les enfants » 4 ((looks and points at the book on Romain’s lap)) 5 Ça me semble bizarre, alors je ne sais pas si cela 6 L’enseignement DES enfants

Data sample 1: monologic speech, interview, after session 5 jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Data sample 1: monologic speech, interview, after session 5 1 Anne Moi ça m’a choqué les oreilles 2 Pour le français, je m’en occupe, non j’essaie de parler correctement français quand il est là, (2) j’aime beaucoup jouer avec les mots, et je me permets des fantaisies, mais en le faisant bien remarqué quand même. (2) il fallait le dire, c’était grave.

Data sample 2 – stories too difficult jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Data sample 2 – stories too difficult Tutor, comments on the 15 stories for children in the curriculum C’est quand même très pratique, hm. Surtout quand on commence, c’est rassurant d’avoir quelque chose …sous la main. Mais bon je dois dire, il y a parfois des histoires, … comme j’ai les tout petits de 4, 5 ans, par exemple la première leçon, c’est sur les (inaudible), et cette histoire là, je n’ai pas (inaudible) de la faire. Elle parle donc des gens qui étaient contre les bahá’ís, des musulmans, et si tu parles à des enfants de 4 ans sur les religions, c’est …, ils auraient rien compris hm, alors on a pris une autre histoire, simplement. Non il faut aussi parfois prendre une autre histoire, on trouve aussi tout plein d’histoires sur internet.

Observation - Analysis jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Observation - Analysis Session 4, dataset 7, shows that the tutor shares her experience about the stories to be learned and to be shared with the children and how some stories for the very young (aged 4) are too difficult and they would have understood nothing.

Insights – Analysis shows … jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 Insights – Analysis shows … mostly use value as opposed to exchange value richer understanding about learning through unveiling the elements of activity system multi-voicedness, historicity, contradictions use & non use of learning tools what has not been done start of expansive learning

The case of a collaborative study circle Discovering learning processes through cultural historical activity theory perspective The case of a collaborative study circle jean-marie nau 29/12/2018

jean-marie nau 29/12/2018 The person, using the power of things or stimuli, controls his own behaviour through them, grouping them, putting them together, sorting them. In other words, the great uniqueness of the will consists of man having no power over his own behaviour other than the power that things have over his behaviour. But man subjects to himself the power of things over behaviour, makes them serve his own purposes and controls that power as he wants. He changes the environment with the external activity and in this way affects his own behaviour, subjecting it to his own authority (Vygotsky, 1997b, p.212)