Kramer
CRADLE – University of Helsinki
Research supervisors: Dr Annalisa Sannino, Dr Yrjo Engestrom
My analysis of teachers’ situation with respect to school development comprises two theoretical approaches that both deal with the concepts of needs and activity (cf. Bratus’ and Lishin, 1983; please, find all references at the end of the application paper), namely Self-Determination Theory proposed by Deci and Ryan and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory in the tradition and legacy of Vygotsky and Leont’ev. By applying formative interventions based on Vygotsky’s principle of double stimulation in the frame of Change Laboratory sessions (Engeström 2011) in school conferences, I seek to foster teachers’ awareness of their situation and help them to actively develop their school’s future. Although I have acquired some basic understanding of Vygotsky’s methodology I understand that I have to deepen this knowledge in order to be able to apply it correctly.
Why I want to deal with this in the frame of the Summer University I attended Helsinki Summer School 2011 (Activity Theory and Formative Interventions) in order to get a basic knowledge of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and the methodological framework it comprises. After being admitted as a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki, I found out that I was not the only one in my class to focus on school development.
With two colleagues from Moscow (Maria Safronova and Yuri Lapshin), one from Brazil and one from Taiwan, we formed an educational team that seeks to understand school development from a more international perspective, all applying an activity-theoretical approach in the legacy of Vygotsky and his colleagues and students. I understand that the ISCAR Summer University can contribute to a more thorough and deeper understanding of Vygotsky and his theoretical approach for both my research and our educational team’s efforts. This is why I apply for the upcoming 2013 ISCAR Summer University and kindly ask for admission.
Presentation “Tracing teachers’needs in the process of school reform”
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