Tensions within and between systems in the first years of teaching

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this study, the author follows nine teachers from their university programme through their first three years of professional teaching in order to understand the work beginning teachers do and the tensions they face through the lens of Activity Theory. The author uses data from interviews, observations, and written communication from across the three years to identify different systems of object-oriented activity and tensions within and between those systems. Applying Activity Theory Analysis, the author highlights four distinct systems of activity found in the participants’ contexts and shares examples of tensions that appear within and between two or more systems. These systems and tensions demonstrate that beginning teaching is not a single system, but rather a conglomeration of multiple systems that interact in complex ways. The author proposes Activity Theory as a useful tool to prepare preservice teachers for the complexity of beginning teaching.