If the processes undertaken in the moment of first encounter form a system, then Activity Theory may provide a means for analysing practitioners‟ activities in the moment of first encounter with a new class group, and then for inferring a rationale.
According to Kanes, the theory describes the relations between people as one which is both mediated and transformed by physical and psychological cultural artefacts. He explained that “any activity obstacles are met with, interruptions are imposed, alternative tools, formulations and plans are made, and these all shape the trajectory of the activity system” (2004, p. 267). On this basis, changes in an activity system derive from problems encountered in relation to artefacts. Stevenson suggests when people find that “a new kind of sense is needed for engagement with an object, will there be a press for new understanding. That is, forms of meaning are shaped by their utility in significant activity” (2004, p. 192). For Activity Theory to be relevant to this study, evidence needs to emerge concerning specific physical and psychological cultural artefacts that impact on practitioners in the moment of first encounter. In this theory, the practices of mediation and transformation of meaning, as essential activities, can be conceptualised as a system that engages both cerebral and the visibly physical processes via cultural artefacts, in order to progress relationships. Conceivably, the
moment of first encounter will mostly be too brief a period for the appearance of physically visible processes. Nevertheless, activity associated with
on the circumstance, assistance from Activity Theory to provide meaning for practitioners‟ activities at that time may be limited.
Alternatively, Dynamic Systems theory (Clark & Toribo, 1994) may help conceptualise practitioners‟ engagement with various activities. This theorises about the behaviour of complex systems. In order to understand systems, it “builds in the idea of the evolution of systems‟ states over time” (ibid, p. 410). Such an approach fits well with the previously introduced rationales of circumstance dependency, constructing in a moment, and episodes of learning. The theory depends on the use of “a set of conceptual and mathematical tools able to promote an essentially geometric
understanding of the space of possible system behaviours” (ibid, p. 410). The dynamic systems approach thus opens the way to a visual
representation that may define a system, which practitioners may operate. Researchers such as Leinhardt and Greeno (1986) recognise teaching as a complex cognitive process which takes place in a dynamic environment. The literature does not show how the entirety of activities undertaken by
practitioners in the moment of first encounter might be or are integrated into a “dynamical system” (Gibson, 2007).
Process-Product research delivers another approach to determining the existence of a system encompassing practitioners‟ activities in the moment of first encounter. It focuses on the “relations between classroom processes (teaching) and products (what students learn)” (Gages & Needels, 1989, pp. 253-4). The relations are firmly rooted in the interaction between learner and teacher and the notion of „products‟ being the learning of teachers from their own activities is not considered. Despite these limitations according to Cuban (1984) a product can be the influence that a teacher exerts. This
position provides an opening to consider practitioners‟ activities as both a process in and a product of the moment of first encounter.
5.5 Summary of chapter
Chapter Five set out to review research that considered the rationale for the initial activities in which practitioners engage during the moment of first encounter with a new group of adult learners. However, the absence of literature on specific temporal moments forced a focus on reasons and motivations offered by researchers for the actions of teachers during the overall teaching process, with the hope some of this information might be transferable to a particular time. It was found that the literature considered aspects of various situations and activities but seldom holistically. Despite the wide scope of the literature search, almost all literature with any connection to this study, focused only on teachers of children in school environments, or generalised it so it was not clear that the findings were transferable to the topic of this study and its participating practitioners. Nevertheless, from time to time, contributions in such literature were valued for their similarities to aspects of this study.
Reasons provided in the literature for practitioner activity generally over time, can be synthesised into four groups; personal, professional, management and learner centred. Particular personal reasons revolve around avoiding discomfort and coping with uncertainty. Professionally, practitioners aim to provide effective facilitation of students‟ learning by constantly discovering new ways to deliver. From a management perspective, practitioners plan to seek to identify problems and formulate practical solutions ready to organise
changes. Fourthly, practitioners‟ work may be designed and implemented for learners, motivated by a need to satisfy their expectations and needs.
Four groups of literature were discerned in relation to different possibilities for conceptualising practitioners‟ activities in the moment of first encounter. Firstly, an overview was provided of research that considered the way in which the circumstances of a situation were primary influences on activity. Secondly, the concepts of building and construction, as a means to describe the situation, were introduced. Thirdly, reference was made to a body of literature that sequences activities. The fourth group of literature considered bundles of activities as part of a system.
In order to determine whether such rationale for practitioner behaviour and approaches is relevant to practitioners in the moment of first encounter and to find whether other motivations exist requires focused research. Chapter Six provides the details of how the study was designed and implemented.