Cultural-Historical Activity
Theory
A Framework for Understanding
Knowing and Learning
Structure of Activity
• Structure (synchronic relations)
– Activity (collective, conscious object/motive)
– Action (individual conscious goal)
– Operation (unconscious)
• Temporality (diachronic relations)
– Change, learning, development, knowing
• Inner contradictions
Issues
• Motive – emotion – motivation
• Expansive/defensive learning
• Zone of proximal development
Re/Thinking Educational Issues
• Activity (schooling, authentic)
– activism (environmental and otherwise)
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Zone of proximal development (symmetrically)
Self-transformation & affect
Ethics
End
Structure of Activity
Ideal, material
Activity: Diachronic Relations
Classical view of learning
K1
K2
Construction, acquisition, information processing
Activity theoretic view of learning
Activity = minimal unit of analysis
K1
K2
Activism
Ethics