Cultural Historical Activity Theory Research Articles

Redefining Education in China: Cultural and Social Impacts of the Double Reduction Policy

The Double Reduction Policy, implemented in China in July 2021, aims to reduce students’ academic burdens, alleviate financial pressures on families, and address systemic educational inequities. By restricting extracurricular tutoring and regulating homework, the policy emphasizes holistic development, creativity, and emotional well-being over exam-oriented practices. This study applies Cultural Historical Activity Theory, Cultural Critical Discourse Theory, and Bernstein’s (2000) theoretical concepts to analyze the policy’s cultural and social impacts on students, teachers, and parents. The findings reveal that the policy reconfigures roles within the educational ecosystem: students are encouraged to pursue self-directed and creative learning, teachers take on expanded responsibilities as agents of systemic reform, and parents shift from passive supporters to active collaborators. Bernstein’s concepts of classification, framing, and pedagogic discourse highlight how the policy redefines boundaries, regulates educational practices, and reshapes identities. Despite its transformative goals, resistance persists, particularly regarding reduced academic competition and adapting to redefined roles. This study underscores the policy’s dual role as systemic reform and cultural intervention, offering insights into balancing tradition and modernity while providing a framework for global equity-driven reforms.

Let’s CHAT About Artificial Intelligence for Students With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Researchers have explored artificial intelligence (AI) applications across educational contexts; however, there is a lack of meta-analysis focused on students with disabilities (SWDs). This study examined the overall effect of AI-based interventions on SWDs’ learning outcomes in 29 (quasi-)experimental studies conducted globally. We used cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) to explore how the effect was moderated by factors, including participant-, AI-, AI-SWD interaction-, intervention-, and methodology-related characteristics. Results indicated a medium effect (Hedge’s g = 0.588) of interventions operating through robots, computer software, and intelligent VR systems. There were no statistically significant moderators. Regardless, this study contributes to a holistic understanding of historical dimensions of AI applications for SWDs and offers critical theoretical implications for future investigations. We call for more rigorous research to explore AI that not only ensures accessibility but also promotes opportunities for SWDs to take an agentic role in participating in and contributing to AI-mediated learning activities.

Teachers and students at the crossroads: unpacking L1 use in CLIL in China’s higher education

ABSTRACT Grounded in the concept of translanguaging, the use of first language (L1) in foreign language (L2) classrooms has sparked considerable debate within Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), particularly in under-researched non-Western contexts such as China. A significant research gap remains regarding the contexts, purposes, and factors influencing L1 use. This qualitative study, situated within English language education in Chinese higher education, addresses this gap with a focus on one purposively selected CLIL classroom. Conversation analysis of classroom observations indicates that translanguaging functions as a strategic, context-driven choice shaped by teacher awareness and learner agency rather than as a fallback to L1. In-depth interviews with the teacher and students reveal that L1 use, framed within Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, is mediated by physical and conceptual tools and peer interactions, with effects observed both inside and outside the classroom. The study also highlights how the division of labour and institutional, educational, or ideological rules shape the balance between L1 and L2 use and create tensions between traditional L2 immersion expectations and learners’ practical needs. These findings call for a more nuanced understanding of translanguaging and suggest the reconsideration of strict L2-only policies to enhance learner engagement and comprehension in CLIL.

Social Media Shadows: Unveiling the Hidden Struggles of African American Youth on Facebook

Abstract: While Facebook has become a central element of digital culture, its impact on the mental health of African American youth remains underexplored, particularly in relation to intersecting marginalized identities. Despite extensive research on social media and youth well-being, there is a significant gap in understanding how Facebook contributes to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, especially for African American adolescents who experience systemic racism and discrimination both offline and online. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining the intersection of race, socio-economic status, and the pervasive influence of social media on African American youth. Utilizing the Ecological Systems Model and Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), this study critically analyzes existing literature to uncover how Facebook exacerbates mental health struggles through online discrimination, cyberbullying, and harmful social comparison. Furthermore, the research highlights the underrepresentation of African American LGBTQ+ youth in current studies, emphasizing the need for intersectional approaches. Findings reveal that while Facebook offers opportunities for connection and identity exploration, it also intensifies mental health challenges due to frequent exposure to online racism and social exclusion. This study concludes by advocating for targeted interventions, including digital literacy programs, supportive online communities, and improved content moderation, to mitigate the negative mental health impacts on African American youth in the digital age.

The construction of ‘we’ empowering music practice in kindergarten

ABSTRACT Singing together fosters connections across social contexts. While this activity is expected to flourish in kindergartens and nurseries, studies from multiple countries have highlighted a growing decline in confidence in singing among both kindergarten teachers and students. To address this, Kulset and Halle [(2020). Togetherness!: adult companionship – the key to music-making in kindergarten.’ Music Education Research 22 (3): 304–314] introduced ‘we’, promoting adult companionship and collective music-making. This study deepens the ‘we’ concept and its practical implications. Using Cultural-historical Activity Theory (CHAT), we compared recent studies on self-concept in musicality among kindergarten teachers and students. While existing research emphasises the significance of nurturing musical skills and a theoretical understanding of musicality, our analysis suggests that practical engagement in music-making mainly as a collaborative effort could catalyse a transformative shift towards fostering musical togetherness. We propose adjusting music programmes in kindergarten teacher education to prioritise such collaborative music-making skills. Practical ‘we’ implementation could reverse declining confidence in singing, instead fostering musical companionship.

Interprofessional collaboration between hospital-based palliative care teams and general healthcare workers: A realist review protocol.

Palliative care, vital for patients with advanced, life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses, faces an increasing global demand due to aging populations and rising non-communicable diseases. Specialized palliative care teams (PCTs) within hospitals significantly impact patient outcomes, which requires effective interprofessional collaboration with general healthcare workers. Therefore, We will conduct a realist review to explore the contextual factors, mechanisms and outcomes related to the interprofessional collaboration between PCTs and general healthcare workers. Grounded in the third generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, this review will follow 5-step iterative process. First, a preliminary literature search will define the review scope. Second, based on the preliminary searches an initial program theory will be developed. Third, systematic searches across PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, Web of Science, and Scopus will be caried out. Fourth, data extraction of included studies will be conducted. Simultaneously, relevance and rigour of individual studies will be evaluated. Lastly, data analysis and synthesis will be conducted in which identified individual Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations will be combined in chains of inference through which hypotheses can be formulated. In summary, this realist review will refine an initially developed program theory, producing a framework elucidating how interprofessional collaboration works between PCTs and general healthcare workers. This review aims to provide crucial insights into interprofessional collaboration between PCTs and general healthcare workers, informing optimized palliative care delivery in acute care hospitals for diverse stakeholders.

Managing operational resilience during the implementation of digital transformation in healthcare organisational practices.

The aim of this study is to investigate ways in which healthcare organisations can successfully maintain operational resilience within intricate and varied engagements during digital transformation processes. The present research applied cultural-historical activity theory as the theoretical framework and the ethnographic account as an approach and strategy to interpret and understand theoperational resilience of digital transformation tools in daily practices. Fieldwork was based on the research technique of shadowing, whereby the researcher closely accompanied the participants to record their conduct, activities and exchanges. Research results propose that effective operational resilience management in the implementation of digital transformation projects is based on (1) identifying and interpreting internal contradictions in everyday interactions as opportunities for capability developments; (2) navigating through multiple sites in fast and improvised movements, which derives in distributed and emergent practices; (3) interplaying between dyadic interactions and networked dependencies, which is achieved through the articulation of varied interests and (4)implementing novel intermediary tools, roles and regulations that facilitate the reduction of disturbances. The propositions of the present study indicate that the management of operational resilience extends beyond conventional adaptive and socio-technical models in healthcare services. The study emphasises the significance of expressing and converting differing interests into mutual advantages. It additionally demonstrates the intricacy of this obstacle, as it entails navigating through uncertain information, concealed interpretations and conflicting interests.

Expansive conceptualisation of the impact of continuous learning programmes: An analysis of research-based workshops in higher vocational education and training

Finnish higher education institutions offer continuous learning opportunities, including professional specialisation education programmes for the health and social sector. This article focuses on the conceptualisation of the impact of these programmes, which was the topic of discussion by education and working-life actors in research-based workshops. Drawing on the cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT) approach, the study seeks to answer the following research questions: What are the main themes through which the participants conceptualise the impact of education? How do the themes expand the conceptualisation of the impact of education? A qualitative study analysed data from the multi-professional discussions facilitated by researcher-developers in online workshops during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings describe the impact-related discussion themes and analyse their expansive potential. Participants’ discursive actions in research-based online workshops manifest expansive conceptuali-sation on multiple dimensions, but also reveal dilemmatic impact-related questions that reflect the underlying contradictions of continuous learning programmes in the health and social sector.

Pedagogical responsiveness of mathematics instruction at inclusive secondary schools: A particularistic case study

This qualitative particularistic case study explores the perspectives and experiences of learners with visual and hearing impairments regarding the teaching of mathematics. Extreme-case sampling was employed to select four learners (three hearing impaired and one visually impaired) from the only two inclusive secondary schools in the northern part of Namibia. The study qualitative study utilised open-ended questionnaires and interviews. Verbatim quotes from the research participants were used as inferences to identify descriptors within the first-generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory, which served as a theoretical and analytical tool. The findings revealed that the activity system of learners with visual and hearing impairments exhibited tensions that negatively affected their performance in mathematics. Learners experienced marginal responsive pedagogy in mathematics classrooms due to teachers' lack of knowledge and pedagogical skills for delivering meaningful mathematical instruction. While learners without disabilities struggled with comprehension and effective communication skills, learners with visual and hearing impairments faced a lack of equipment to support the conceptualisation and visualisation of mathematical subject content. The authors emphasise the critical importance of addressing communication barriers and adapting teaching practices to support the learning and inclusion of visually and hearing-impaired learners in mathematics, with an emphasis on mathematical language that promotes a better understanding of mathematical concepts. Teacher training should also incorporate responsive pedagogy to enhance outcomes and foster a more inclusive learning environment that promotes academic success and positive social experiences for all learners. Recommendations at a policy level, including advocating for a decolonised curriculum were made.

New Perspectives on Collective Collaboration Within and Between Change Laboratory Sessions

This article contributes new knowledge on collaboration within and between Change Laboratory sessions and how it offers the potential to support the zone of proximal development and the expansive learning of participants. The Change Laboratory is a formative intervention method that helps participants transform their practices. This qualitative study examines how six educators participating in a Change Laboratory intervention dealt with problems that arise when implementing digital artifacts in teaching mathematics. We collected data through participant observation between sessions and video recordings during sessions. We conducted the data analysis abductively, using the seven expansive learning actions as an analytical framework. The findings highlight how collaboration between the researcher and the participants, both during and between Change Laboratory sessions, helped support the participants’ zone of proximal development and expansive learning. This close collaboration enabled the educators to collectively reflect on and transform their teaching practices, specifically by incorporating digital artifacts into their educational routines. The study provides important insights into how digital artifacts can be successfully implemented in practice using Change Laboratories, emphasizing the importance of supporting educators in their zone of proximal development. Using a theoretical perspective grounded in cultural-historical activity theory, the study contributes to understanding how change occurs in the educational field.

Physician development through interprofessional workplace interactions: A critical review.

Increasingly, medical training aims to develop physicians who are competent collaborators. Although interprofessional interactions are inevitable elements of medical trainees' workplace learning experiences, the existing literature lacks a cohesive model to conceptualise the learning potential residing in these interactions. We conducted a critical review of the health professions and related educational literatures to generate an empirically and theoretically informed description of medical trainees' workplace interactions with other health professionals, including learning mechanisms and outcomes. Informed by Teunissen's conceptualisation of workplace learning, we highlight the individual, social and situated dimensions of learning from interprofessional workplace interactions. Workplace interactions between medical trainees and other health professionals tend to be brief, spontaneous, informal and often implicit without the predefined educational goals and roles that structure trainees' relationships with physician supervisors. Yet they hold potential for developing trainees' knowledge and skills germane to the work of a physician as well as building their capacity for collaboration. Our review identified a spectrum of learning theories helpful for examining what and how trainees learn from these interactions. Self-regulated learning theories focus attention on how learning depends on trainees interpreting and judging the cues offered by other health professionals. Sociocultural frameworks including the zone of proximal development and legitimate peripheral participation emphasise the ways other health professionals support trainees in performing tasks at the border of their abilities and facilitate trainees' participation in clinical work. Both the landscapes of practice theory and cultural historical activity theory highlight the influence of surrounding social, cultural and material environments. These theories are unified into cohesive model and demonstrated through an illustrative example. Interprofessional workplace interactions harbour a range of learning opportunities for medical trainees. Capitalising on their potential can contribute to training collaborative practice-ready physicians alongside traditional intra-professional interactions between physicians and merits future research.

An investigation of pedagogical change with novel technology in fee paying and no-fee schools during COVID-19

Following the reopening of schools after the national lockdown in March 2020, the Department of Basic Education (2020a) in South Africa implemented the School Reform Plan to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the loss of learning and teaching in schools. To date, limited information is available on the extent to which these measures have had an impact on pedagogical practices of teachers across the different poverty quintile schools. In this paper, we report on teachers' perceptions of how novel technological tools, introduced during the pandemic, altered their pedagogy practices across no-fee and fee-paying schools. Data was obtained from 1098 teachers and analysed using Engeström's (1987) Cultural Historical Activity Theory as the framework. Findings indicate that two broad, ideal pedagogical types, reinforcement pedagogy and collaborative pedagogy, emerged in both no-fee and fee-paying schools from the use of technology in schools during the COVID pandemic. While reinforcement pedagogy is motivated by the need to cover the curriculum, the motivation behind collaborative pedagogy is to develop learners' understanding of concepts in class.

Language Teacher Researcher Identity Construction in Activity: Navigating Entanglement of Two English PSTs in Undergraduate Thesis Work in the Indonesian Context

ABSTRACT Addressing the issue of colonial humanism ideologies plaguing undergraduate thesis work of English pre-service teachers in the Indonesian context and perpetuating the dichotomy of teacher and researcher identities, this study explored two pre-service teachers’ entanglements in their day-to-day praxes of undergraduate thesis work as a site of identity construction by framing it in the lens of postcolonial, posthuman and transnational Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. Orienting toward movement of actions and praxes, they actively participated in entanglements of identity construction by making visible layers of contradictions and continuously maneuvering the contradictions to achieve meaningful outcomes in each praxis. The contradictions at the micro level further revealed contradictions at the meso level of actions and the macro level of networked activity systems at the institutional level, indicating the pivotal role of understanding their micro level of praxes to unveil issues hindering undergraduate thesis to serve as a democratic space to generate meaningful knowledge.

Bilingual pre-service teachers’ evolving conceptualizations about curriculum as a hybrid space through multimodal learning experiences

Guided by Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), this study examined the effectiveness of multimodal pedagogical processes in a graduate course to help 23 bilingual pre-service teachers (BPSTs) reformulate curriculum for inclusivity. Using sequential multi-methods, quantitative analysis assessed changes in curriculum design using a researcher-generated rubric, and qualitative explorations examined collages, clay creations, and written metacognitive reflections. The study found that the BPSTs significantly reformulated the role of hybridity in curriculum design and revealed four patterns of change: Qualitative maintained radical, qualitative maintained gradual, qualitative not maintained, and no qualitative change. The study illuminates the use of multimodal mediators for BPSTs’ learning.

Unraveling attrition and retention: A qualitative study with rehabilitation professionals.

Health human resources are scarce worldwide. In occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (S-LP), attrition and retention issues amplify this situation and contribute to the precarity of health systems. To investigate the phenomena of attrition and retention with OTs, PTs and S-LPs who stayed in, or left their profession. Cultural-historical activity theory provided the theoretical scaffolding for this interpretive description study. We used purposeful sampling (maximum variation approach) to recruit OTs, PTs, and S-LPs from Quebec, Canada. Individual interviews were conducted with 51 OTs, PTs, and S-LPs from Quebec, Canada, in English or French (2019-2020). Inductive and deductive approaches, and constant comparative techniques were used for data analysis. Six themes were developed: 1) characteristics of work that made it meaningful; 2) aspects of work that practitioners appreciate; 3) factors of daily work that weigh on a practitioner; 4) factors that contribute to managing work; 5) relationships with different stakeholders that shape daily work; and 6) perceptions of the profession. Meaningfulness was tied to participants' sense that their values were reflected in their work. Factors outside work shaped participants' work experiences. Recurrent negative experiences led some to leave their profession. Findings underscore a critical need to address contributing factors to attrition and retention which are essential to ensuring the availability of OTs, PTs and SLPs for present and future rehabilitation needs.

E-Textbooks as a Teaching Aid at a University of Technology in South Africa: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis

The past two years saw a rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education. Digital technologies and environments offer many affordances. New digital literacy practices in universities have implications for teaching and learning. E-textbooks, in particular, act as mediating tools that can facilitate teaching and learning through developing students’ understandings of scientific concepts. This paper positions e-textbooks as mediators of learning, rather than merely objects of learning. There is thus a need to understand the mediating role of e-textbooks that lecturers draw on in their teaching. While much research was conducted on students’ use of e-textbooks, relatively little was conducted on lecturers’ use of e-textbooks in engineering education. The current study aimed to answer the following research question: What are lecturers’ perspectives on the use of e-textbooks to facilitate learning in engineering? To address this question, data were collected through five individual interviews conducted with engineering lecturers working in the Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) of first-year students from three engineering departments (chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and nautical science) at a university of technology in South Africa. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis with the help of ATLAS.ti. Data analysis was guided by a theoretical framework that drew on the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). In this study, the focus was on e-textbooks as pedagogical tools within engineering teaching and learning. The findings provide insight into how lecturers incorporate e-textbooks into their teaching, but also reveal the extent to which new digital literacy reading practices remain unfamiliar to engineering lecturers. CHAT enabled the identification of a critical insight, namely, the tension between mediation and division of labour. This highlights important aspects of the discourse surrounding seamless technology integration in higher education. The discussion points to the need for an expansive transformation regarding the use of e-textbooks as important mediating tools for teaching and learning.

Influence of Cultural Background on Language Comprehension in Philippines

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of cultural background on language comprehension in Philippines. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research on the influence of cultural background on language comprehension in the Philippines reveals significant disparities in reading proficiency among students from diverse cultural contexts. Studies indicate that students who identify strongly with their cultural heritage often demonstrate better comprehension of texts that resonate with their cultural experiences, while those encountering unfamiliar cultural references face challenges in understanding materials. Factors such as socio-economic status, access to educational resources, and the prevalence of multilingualism also impact comprehension outcomes. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Cultural-historical activity theory, sociocultural theory & intercultural communication theory may be used to anchor future studies on the influence of cultural background on language comprehension in Philippines. Educators should implement culturally responsive teaching strategies that acknowledge and leverage students' cultural backgrounds in language instruction. Educational policymakers should prioritize the inclusion of cultural diversity in language education frameworks and curricula.

Negotiating Safety by Movements: Articulation, Alignment and Separation between Train Driving and Railway Traffic Controlling Activities

This article explores the negotiation of safety between two distinct activity systems that operate jointly on a daily basis: train driving and railway traffic controlling. We have employed cultural-historical activity theory and an ethnographic case study of a large European passenger and freight transport company to pinpoint three different types of movement underpinning the negotiation of safety. These different movements can be found in work organization, work situations, and workers’ actions. The negotiation of safety would appear to be based on the movements of articulation (articulation, disarticulation, re-articulation), alignment (alignment, misalignment, realignment), and separation (separation, re-separation, de-separation) between activity systems. Within the framework of activity theory, we have used evidence from highly reliable organizations and the management of high-risk organizations to offer a better understanding of the movements between activity systems in safety negotiation.

Exploring cooperative learning as a tool in civic education

ABSTRACT Background Civic participation is a fundamental element of democracy; therefore, upholding and supporting civic participation, especially among the upcoming generation, is important. Political efficacy – an individual’s understanding of their capacity to participate in civic life – has been found to exert an important influence on the expected civic participation of adolescents. The study reported in this article considers how civic participation can be supported through educational efforts to promote students’ political efficacy. Purpose The study is based on a formative intervention project in the tradition of cultural−historical activity theory (CHAT). Cooperative learning techniques were used in a Norwegian social studies classroom with students aged 13 and 14 to explore how the experience was connected to the students’ political efficacy. Methods The data underlying the research were drawn from focus group interviews with 14-year-old Norwegian students, in which the students evaluated and elaborated on their experiences in the cooperative learning period. Findings Cooperative learning has the potential to enhance students’ political efficacy, mainly by providing students with opportunities to practice democratic skills and through peers functioning as political role models. However, the students’ responses point towards tensions within the student group and between the classroom as a unit of learning and the expectations of the classroom as a unit of individuality and evaluation. These key contradictions may hinder the realisation of cooperative learning classrooms and limit the rehearsal space that could be favourable for political efficacy. Conclusions The study illustrates how using cooperative learning in the social studies classroom can be a way to enhance students’ political efficacy. Simultaneously, the classroom context contains historically developed contradictions that shape the students’ understanding of their classroom experiences.

Math identity and Cultural Historical Activity Theory:

Math identity and Cultural Historical Activity Theory: