1. Mary Hooker EdTech 2009 Post-graduate Track: Dublin City University
An investigation into the use of Activity Theory to ‘Mirror’ ICT Practices in the Teacher Professional Development Landscape of a Development Country Context
Mary Hooker
EdTech 2009
Post-graduate Track: Dublin City University

2. Action Research
Action researchers start with an idea and follow it where it leads them...
Mc Niff and Whitehead (2006: 31)

3. Research Question
“How can I improve my practice as a facilitator to engage teacher educator institutions in a reflexive discourse on the use of ICT in Teacher Professional Development?”

4. My Context I am an Education Specialist
I work for an INGO called Global eSchools and Communities Initiatives (GeSCI)
GeSCI provides strategic advice to Ministries of Education in developing countries on the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for education and communities of learning.

5. My Values
I reject power imbalances evident in north-south relationships in development
Knowledge has to represent something far greater than a transfer of packaged models or frameworks from one system to another
I value other peoples’ capacity to come to know in their own way, to create their own knowledge, to draw on insights from the knowledge of others

6. My Concerns
An equitable relationship with partners developed upon processes of mutual learning and change
Approaching issues on a basis of co-construction of knowledge, through processes of critical reflection and experience

7. Why am I concerned?
North-south transfer of capacity which is often assumed, rather than a process of mutual learning
(Taylor and Clarke, 2008)
Problematic nature of collaboration if participants have not been properly involved in defining the need and purpose of the developmental process and their views and interests are not addressed
(Kontiainen 2007, cited in Hakkarainen, 2007)
The gap between ‘classroots’ and policy level
(O’ Sullivan, 2004)
The absence of the teacher’s voice in policy discourse and formulation

8. What am I going to do about it?
I need to develop appropriate tools to support knowledge building and understanding of the issues and challenges in Teacher Professional Development policy and practice

9. Literature Global Agenda: Education For All
Education for All (EFA) agenda as a Global Social Justice (GSJ) Project;
Concept of quality is fundamental to its achievement;
A quality education is dependent on the development of high quality teachers;
Momentous challenge in a global context of ever more complex demands on systems for educational provision;
Acute shortages in the supply of suitably qualified and experienced teachers north and south;
Disparities in quality provision accelerate as richer countries lure qualified teachers from less favoured regions.
Davis, 2000; Leach 2008
INCLUSIVE ACCESS?
QUALITY ?
RELEVANCE ?
MANAGEMENT ?

10. Literature Global Agenda: Knowledge Society for All
“New Growth” economic models emphasize the importance of new knowledge, innovation, and the development of human capacity as the sources of sustainable economic growth;
ICTs are engines for new growth and tools for empowering societies to change into knowledge economies or information societies;
Through access to an inclusive high-quality education by all –benefits to individual, business, private and public enterprise are multiplied and will lead to economic growth that is more equitably distributed and enjoyed by all.
GeSCI, 2008; UNESCO 2008
Source: AKRI Ltd.

11. Literature Use of ICT in Teacher Professional Development in Africa
Complex landscape
Myriad of national and international initiatives
Proliferation of one-off, topic-led, short-term training programmes that aim to develop specific skills of teachers
Paradigm shift towards longer term, systemic TPD initiatives
Features of ICT integration in and across curricula, on-line learning, virtual communities of practice, web portals of resources, certification of progress
Farrell and Isaacs, 2007
Source: UNESCO

12. Literature Benchmarking ICT in Teacher Professional Development
Three Approaches for ICT Integration in Teacher Professional Development
Policy & Vision
Technology Literacy
Knowledge Deepening
Knowledge Creation
Curriculum & Assessment
Basic Knowledge
Knowledge Application
21st Century Skills
Pedagogy
Integrate Technology
Complex Problem Solving
Self Management
ICT
Basic Tools
Complex Tools
Pervasive Technology
Organization & Administration
Standard Classroom
Collaborative Groups
Learning Organizations
Teacher Professional Development
Digital Literacy
Manage & Guide
Teacher as Model Learner
Source: UNESCO 2008

13. Literature Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)...
New solutions, new
model for practice
’Mirror’
of everyday
practice
(Historical and
ongoing)
Future
Conceptual tools
Present
Past
Activity system
framework
Facilitators
Stakeholders
Engestrom, 2003

14. CHAT: Cycles for Expansive Learning
Literature
CHAT: Cycles for Expansive Learning

15. Methodology Qualitative approach: Action Research Living Theory
(Whitehead and Mc Niff, 2006)
Studying my practice and generating practical knowledge that is rooted in my practice in relation to the ideas of others

16. CHAT... Cycle 1: Past ’Mirror’ of everyday practice (Historical and
ongoing)
Conceptual tools
Past
Activity system
framework
Facilitators
Stakeholders
Engestrom, 2003

17. CYCLE 1 – TEACHERS STORIES
Story telling in a conversational setting with its associations for risk-taking and permissiveness, ‘may be more likely to reveal uncomfortable experiences, ideas, issues and concerns… conditions (that) can increase the odds for productive learning’.
McDrury and Alterio 2002, cited in Haigh, 2005:12

18. THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE
Process involves
The collection of significant change (SC) stories from the practice level
The systematic selection of the most significant of these stories by panels or working groups of stakeholders or staff

19. THE KERNEL THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE
‘Looking back over the last month, what do you think was the most significant change in your practice since using computers in your classroom?’
THE KERNEL

20. THE KERNEL THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE
‘From among all these significant change stories, what do you think was the most significant change of all?’
THE KERNEL

21. Story Selection Criteria
Shift in teacher role
teacher is no longer the gatekeeper of knowledge
teacher is emerging as co-learner - learning with and from students about the technology
Shift in pedagogy
student-centred approach
discovering learning through exploring
ICT as catalyst for change:
ICTs can change pedagogy
student can become ‘addicted’ and distracted from learning
‘war’ inside teacher leading to anxiety
Shift in learner role
from passive to active engagement
student more confident in using technology than teacher
Shift in pedagogy
Learning becomes real - changes world view
Student can learn from research, team work, communication (self-learning)
ICT as catalyst for change
ICT breaking down geographic barriers - world accessible through the internet
3d multi-media dynamic learning instead of 2d static learning
Interactivity for student
Education For All Relationship

22. CHAT... Cycle 2: Present ’Mirror’ of everyday practice (Historical and
ongoing)
Conceptual tools
Present
Past
Activity system
framework
Facilitators
Stakeholders
Engestrom, 2003

23. CYCLE 2 – TEACHERS’ WORK ENVIRONMENTS
Activity Theory Lens
‘What ‘tensions’ do the stories reveal in educational practice?’

24. Facilitating Expansive School Transformation Using ICT in the SADC Region: A Botswana Pilot Project
Nleya, 2009

25. School Time-table Teacher-Rules
Do you collaborate with other teachers about how ICT can be used in teaching and learning?
For now no, the teacher has a lot of, many periods, 27, 28, we are not permitted to get time to discuss about it... The high priority for teachers is to prepare notes for what they have to teach their students in their subjects... And marking, that is what I think...
Tools ICT
Teacher B Object
ICT Literacy
Rules Role
School time-table Liaise between school and partner
Curriculum
National Examinations

26. Community of Practice Teacher-Community
Do teachers ever communicate with teachers in other schools?
Not so much actually, not so much... But if we can discuss with the teachers, during our time, our free time, we can say, we can help each other
Tools - ICT
Teacher B Object
ICT Literacy
Rules Community Role
School time-table Teachers Liaise between school and partner
Curriculum Management
National Examinations

27. Tensions in School Environment
Teacher–tools: The insufficiency of ICT training and inadequacy of lab resources hampers the teacher’s efforts to implement ICT in the teaching-learning process.
Teacher–rules: Tight time-tables and bureaucratic planning inhibit opportunities for the teacher to research, to direct self-learning to communicate with other teachers on ICT use. Teachers tend to be excluded from school policy and planning on ICT use in the school environment.
Teacher-objective: The teachers are not involved in defining objectives for their training needs for ICT integration. There are many constraints and no incentives for teachers to apply ICT in their daily practice.
Tools-community: The insufficiency of ICT resources available to teachers inhibits inter-disciplinary collaboration internally between teachers and ICT liaison/ coordinators, and between teachers and other teachers from other schools.

28. CHAT... Cycle 3: Future New solutions, new model for practice ’Mirror’
of everyday
practice
(Historical and
ongoing)
Future
Conceptual tools
Present
Past
Activity system
framework
Facilitators
Stakeholders
Engestrom, 2003

29. CYCLE 3 – WORKSHOP: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TOMORROW, TODAY

30. Change Story Lens Teacher A? Teacher B? Teacher C? Student D?
Mirror 1 - Past
Which story represents the ‘most significant’ change?
Teacher A?
Teacher B?
Teacher C?
Student D?

31. Activity System Lens Mirror 2 - Present
What ‘tensions’ do the stories reveal about current educational practice?

32. ICT a complementary technology
Future Scenario Lens
Mirror 3 - Future
What ‘scenarios’ will teachers populate in future practice?
Figure 1: Two dimensions of expansive TPD transformation. The upper right (sector 4) indicates the direction of the individual and collective technology enhanced zone of proximal development (ZPD).
Institutions and schools in collaboration
with the community (local, national, regional)
ICT a core technology
Given
‘Transition’
‘Knowledge deepening’
Teacher professional development focus on the use of ICT to guide students through complex problems and manage dynamic learning environment 3
‘Transformation’
‘Knowledge creation’
Teachers are themselves master learners and knowledge producers who are constantly engaged in educational experimentation and innovation to produce new knowledge about learning and teaching practice 4
Experimentation in context
Programmes 1
‘Traditional’
‘Technology add-on’
Teacher training focus the use of ICT as an add-on to the traditional curricula and standardized test systems 2
‘Transmission’
‘Technology literacy’
Teacher training focus on the development of digital literacy and the use of ICT for professional improvement
with varying solutions
ICT a complementary technology
Institutions and schools
as relatively isolated from the community
Adapted: Kennedy, 2005; UNESCO, 2008

33. Expansive Learning Creating a new model
What will be the ‘Development Path’ for the next ten years?

34. Living Contradiction
“We take as the starting point of our research the idea that we experience ourselves as living contradictions when our values are denied in our practice”
Whitehead 1989 cited in Whitehead and McNiff 2006: 25

35. Workshop evaluation
Workshop was successful due to strong communication, facilitation and organizational skills of facilitators but it had some shortcomings.
To organize a workshop which yields no significant outcomes, is a wastage of money, time and resources which otherwise can be utilized in another productive mission.
Participant Feedback - Workshop: Teacher Professional Development for Tomorrow, Today

36. New joint research projects
Workshop on North/South Research Partnerships for ICT in Education
April 21st Irish Aid Centre, Dublin
New joint research projects
New models for integrating research to education development and policy making
New capacities in South and North
Research
GeSCI
Policy making
Education
Development

37. References
Davies, R and Dart, J The ‘Most Significant Change’ Technique [Online]. Available from:
Davis, N International Contrast of Information Technology in Teacher Education: multiple perspectives of change. Editorial. Journal of Technology for Teacher Education [Online]. 9 (2) pp Available from: Academic Search Premier [Accessed 26 March 2009]
Engestrom, R Change lab – a new perspective to teachers’ professional development [Online]. Available from WITFOR at: [Accessed 19 April 2009]
Farrell, G. and Isaacs, S Survey of ICT and Education in Africa [Online]. Available from infoDEV at: [Accessed 9 April 2009]
GeSCI Strategic Plan 2009 – 2011 [Online]. Available from GeSCI at: [Accessed 15 December 2008]
Hakkarainen, K. et al A Research Plan for the Academy of Finland. Helensinki: University of Helsinki (internal document)
Kennedy, A Models for Continuing Professional Development: A framework for Analysis. Journal of In-Service Education [Online]. 31 (2), pp Available from Professional Development Collection at: [Accessed 15 December 2008]
Leach, J Do new information and communications technologies have a role to play in the achievement of education for all? British Educational Research Journal [Online]. 34 (6), pp783 – 805. Available from: Academic Search Premier [Accessed 26 March 2009]
O’Sullivan, M The reconceptualisation of learner-centred approaches: a Namibian case study. International Journal of Educational Development [Online]. 24 pp Available from: Academic Search Premier [Accessed 15 December 2008]
Taylor, P. and Clarke, P Capacity for Change. Sussex: CUIDS, University of Sussex
UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Policy Framework [Online]. Available from UNESCO at: [Accessed 11 April 2009]
Whitehead, J. and Mc Niff, J Action Research Living Theory.London: Sage Publications