Ebook: Activity Systems Analysis Methods: Understanding Complex Learning Environments

Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) has its origins in Lev Vygotsky’s pioneering work in the 1920s. More recently, education scholars have used CHAT to study learning behavior through the creation of activity systems analysis. Activity Systems Analysis Methods brings the CHAT framework into clear practical focus to offer a non-dualistic perspective on contemporary learning process in context. By focusing especially on methodologies, and including numerous real-life examples, the book moves beyond the theoretical realm to provide readers with expert guidance in mapping and evaluating complex learning interactions in natural environments. This first-of-its kind volume: • Summarizes the theoretical development of CHAT and activity systems analysis. • Explains how researchers perform activity systems analysis, and ways it benefits educational research and practice. • Addresses challenges to the validity of activity systems analysis. • Provides detailed examples of activity systems analysis used toward various research goals. • Identifies methodological issues salient to designing and conducting CHAT-related studies in qualitative research. • Refers readers to additional resources on activity systems analysis theory, methods, and issues. Education researchers, particularly in instructional technology and design, learning sciences, and educational psychology, will find Activity Systems Analysis Methods an exciting resource for adding new relevance and value to their work.

In the last two decades, there has been growing interest in pursuing theoretical paradigms that capture complex learning situations. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is one of several theoretical frameworks that became very popular among educational researchers because it conceptualizes individuals and their environment as a holistic unit of analysis. It assumes a non-dualistic ontology and acknowledges the complexities involved in human activity in natural settings. Recently, reputable journals such as the American Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, and Educational Researcher that are targeted for a wide-range of audience have included articles on CHAT. In many of such articles, CHAT has been referred to as social constructivism, sociocultural theory, or activity theory.

Activity systems analysis is one of the popular methods among CHAT researchers for mapping complex human interactions from qualitative data. However, understanding the methods involved in activity systems analysis is a challenging task for many researchers. This difficulty derives from several reasons. First the original texts of CHAT are in Russian and there have been numerous authors who report on the difficulties of reconciling translation problems of the works of original authors’ such as Vygotsky and Leontiev. Second, in North America activity systems analysis has deviated from the Russian scholars’ intentions and Engeström’s original work using the triangle model to identify tensions to overcome and bring about sociopolitical change in participant practices. Third, to this date there are numerous publications on the theoretical background of activity theory and studies reporting the results of using activity systems analysis for unpacking qualitative data sets, but there have been no methodological publications on how researchers engage in activity systems analysis. Thus, there is a dearth of literature in both book and journal publications that guide researchers on the methodological issues involving activity systems analysis.