Reconceptualising teachers’ work as activity: Expanding activity theory through Bourdieu Russell...

Reconceptualising teachers’ work as activity: Expanding activity theory through Bourdieu

Russell Cross (MGSE), Trevor Gale (Deakin), Carmen Mills (UQ), Stephen Parker (Deakin)

Bourdieu’s three accounts of practice(Warde 2004)

• The logic of practice cf. logic of theory (science, reason). Practice is the logic of the moment whereas theory is derived from conscious reflective thought

• Practice is collective – i.e. it has recognisable ‘areas of practice’ or coordinated domains (e.g., ‘legal’ practice)

• Practice as performance – it is carrying out some action or another, a manifestation of particular behaviours

Dispositionstendencies, propensities, inclinations, leanings

• Habitus: ‘a system of durable, transposable dispositions which functions as the generative basis of structured, objectively unified practices’ (Bourdieu 1979: vii)

• Dispositions: operate between belief/practice; between what is said/done

• A ‘feel for the game’ (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992)

• Orienting actions without strictly determining them

• SJDs provide un-thought or pre-thought guidance for socially just practice

A focus on ‘activity’

• Cultural historic activity theory– Understanding pedagogic work as an activity in and

through which teachers’ SJDs can be identified – An analytic basis to interrogate culturally and

historically constructed practices against the social contexts from which they emerge

• Aim: – To identify dispositions ‘revealed in action’

Mediation• Vygotskian sociocultural theory– Humans do not act upon the word directly, but through

artefacts that mediate relationships with others and the world around them

Activity as System

• ‘The human individual’s activity is a system of social relations. It does not exist without those social relations’ (Leontiev 1981: 46–47)

SJDs revealed in Activity• Activity

– not defined solely by structures or context– nor does it simply lie with individual agency,

divorced from the conditions under which subjects make ‘choices’ on how to best respond to the systems that they encounter

• SJDs are the basis from which subjects make sense of their systems in ways that are the most subtle of influences— tendencies, inclinations, and leanings — resulting in un-thought guidance to respond in a manner the subject perceives to be socially just ‘ways’

• Importantly, we therefore locate SJDs ‘within the subject’– cf. dispositions as mediatory tool operating within ‘the system’

Conceptual clarity: Dispositions vis-à-vis Beliefs

• This helps to further clarify the distinctiveness between SJDs and beliefs– constructs (i.e., tools) the subject ‘names’ as their basis for action

• Located within the subject, SJDs differ from manifest conscious (i.e., thoughtful) labels claimed by subjects to ‘name’ beliefs

• This also helps to explain why, irrespective of declared beliefs, subjects are still inclined to lean, at times, in contradiction to beliefs, thus resulting in actual instances of activity we do see unfolding in practice

• It is at the level of disposition within the subject (rather than ‘named’ or ‘claimed’ beliefs) that concrete instances of actual, observable activity emerge that we might otherwise struggle to provide explanatory accounts for on the basis of belief systems alone. – SJD and habitus as a basis for the complex amalgam of past and present (Bourdieu)

• Taste: A disposition ‘to differentiate’ between beings, doings, and cultural artefacts

• Social Justice: A disposition ‘to do the right thing’ with respect to others, beings, doings, and cultural artefacts

• ‘Tastes’ (i.e., more than one): Distinguished and characterised by judgementsassociated with art, music, food (of different kinds) in the

aesthetic field

• ‘Social justices’: Distinguished and characterised by judgements associated with social practices (of different kinds) in the

moral field

‘Characterising’ (and naming) Disposition: Taste and distinction (Bourdieu 1984)

Illustrative examples from the ‘field’

• Subjects — Ann and Kelly: • Both early career teachers (within first 3 years of secondary teaching)• Both have backgrounds in art/design prior to teaching• Both have backgrounds as students themselves in non-elite schools

• Kelly - difficulties at a Catholic school (suspensions)• Ann - lower SES public school

• Each now teaching in differently positioned schools• Kelly - disadvantaged community public school• Ann - advantaged all girls’ public school

Illustrative examples from the ‘field’: KellyBeings, doings, others, and artefacts

• Kelly’s orientation to object — they don't give her much to ‘work with’:• “They give you tongue in cheek every day and they sort of refuse to do work”.• “They stuff up and they disrespect me”.• “They always say that they respect me blah, blah, blah but they don’t”.• “These kids just don’t care as much about their education. They’ve got given an opportunity they’re just being lazy”.• “They need a bit more structure”.• “They’re at a really, really low level”. • “He’s easily distracted”.• “He’s on the spectrum, and he can’t read or write”. • “He’s on the spectrum as well, he’s got to have his work sort of spelt out to him a lot, but he is a bit lazy as well — that doesn’t

help”.• “It’s not that hard, but they just don’t want to do it”.• “Most of these kids wouldn’t know how to fill out a passport application”.

• The responsibility and consequences of their actions lies with them:• “Because they just sit around and play games and stuff […] So I’ve played that game on them and didn’t really help them that much

in the morning”.• “Obviously you’re not doing any work so therefore this is your education”. [emphasis added]

• Those that do engage with the work are left alone/beyond the focus of attention:• “She’ll be like, ‘What do you want Kelly, I just want to listen to my music and do my work’. I’ll be like, ‘OK, sorry’.” • “Because she’s at school every day, and she does all her work, we just write notes[…]and say ‘Jill’s doing really well”.


• Mediatory tools/artefacts — ‘Passion-based learning’ … what students bring to the pedagogic relationship:• “We glorify their passions”.• “I sat up on the table and […] I just sort of asked them, “What are you doing? What are your interests? What do you like?”• “I would look at what knowledge already exists and how can i build upon that so therefore they’re excelling that way. • “Individual based learning and the passion based learning is good for them here so they can sort of direct themselves.”• “[The staff] changed it to single desks so kids get their own space because they’re doing passion based learning. [Seating plans are …] entirely self-

directed”. • “I was going to get them to watch something on like the history of Apple, then i thought why am i going to do that — there’s no point”. • “Today we were watching a graffiti documentary on hip-hop, the kids are getting me into it and I’ve always liked it”.

• Reliance on mediation beyond the classroom to facilitate learning, development, access to opportunities:• “Let’s get them into the real world. Let’s get them doing community projects”. • “Real world learning, get out there, see what people are doing. Talk to people”.• “When you go for a job interview, how do you shake someone’s hand. How do your tie up. You polish them up ready for interviews.• “You’re sort of teaching them all round of good manners, education, the way they behave in public”.• “Instead of teaching them how to structure a perfect essay, I’m more of that real world learning like writing a resume and cover letter”.

• “They’re doing Leaps & Bounds … it’s building so they’re on ropes really high and they’re working together as a team”.• “The girls did an [external program] last week. They all looked at women in society that are powerful and to have pride in yourself”. • “Let’s go on a camp for two nights and have no mobile phones and let’s see how we go” […] We’re going to learn life skills, hopefully someone will be

inspired by it”.


• Disposition:• An absolution of responsibility — ‘Who’s doing the teaching?’• Putting the onus elsewhere

• Teacher as care-taker/baby-sitter

• “There’s a lot of notes, so there’s online notes and then the parents can see what notes that we write about their students.”

• “Writing notes and you’ve got to read everything that’s been happening the last two or three days.”

• “I look at the handover notes and go ‘oh yep, so and so, blah blah blah.’” • “Because I’m only in with him two days, I know that when I’ve got my

handover notes he needed a lot more structure.”

Illustrative examples from the ‘field’: AnnBeings, doings, others, and artefacts

• Ann’s orientation to object — they’re ‘good girls’:• “The girls are a lot more focused in terms of academic areas”.• “They [as girls] have the right to have the same opportunities in education”.• “As soon as I asked somebody to jump up, all the hands go up”. • “The manners gets the better of them with these girls”. • “It’s a very feminine group, they’re very typical female representation”. • “The girls want to know why and what’s important about this one, and what am I going to get out of this — it’s more of a discussion”.• “The girls do try and bond very quickly. They want to have their best friends and make their best friend straight away so that they’re set for the

rest of school”.

• A focus on harmony, and an avoidance of ‘clashes’:• “My intention there is to make them feel like they’re the same, they’re getting the same focus as other people and they’re not feeling isolated or

alienated”.• “Those girls will go home and do half the textbook if you give them the chance. So it’s more about making sure that they are still being

challenged, without flying so far ahead that they’re leaving everybody in their dust”.• “They were so focused on what they were doing, I didn’t really want to break it”.• “If they’re working together, even if they’re not understanding everything that’s happening, they’re feeling a sense of achievement because their

group has worked it out”.

• “Depending on the group makeup and somebody who’s struggling can feel like they’re not getting of it, and so they’re feeling left behind in their group and therefore not as smart as everybody else in their group. That can be a difficult part of it”. • “You’ve got to be careful that you’re not offending them in any way, or you’re not bringing something up that’s quite close to the bone”.• “Some of the girls were clashing a little bit or some of them, we would have a table where there were a few girls who were sort of not on task

and they were increasing that [clashing behaviour] with each other”.• “They clashed. I think partly because Cass was so outspoken and quite obviously skilled in what she was talking about and Jess was almost the

opposite, so was not at all confident about her ability”.


• Mediatory tools/artefacts — Maintaining ‘the team’:• “I wanted to vocalise it a little bit, ‘Are you working together? Are you working as a team?’ Obviously I didn’t use specific words like that, but ‘Are

you doing all the same questions?’”• “Making it vocal that I’ve said to them, ‘So you’re working together’ and ‘OK. So what sort of things are you doing together to work together?’”• “They normally sit together”.• “Just to get them thinking about, ‘Yes, we’re all working in a team, we’re all solving this together’. It’s a nice idea to give them while they’re really

connected like that to me”.• “We try and not break [existing friendship groupings], but try and expose them to the other girls as well, so that they interact with everybody and

they can establish friendships based on having similar interests”.

• Mediating to avoid conflict:• “The groups are just put together randomly for first term and then[…]adjusted a little bit for second term, based on how things are going”.• “There needs to be a discussion to make sure that if she does feel like she wants to come back, there’s not any issues with that happening”.• “So we did actually have a chat to Bess about it and say, “Other people’s opinions are valid as well and it’s nice to have a discussion about that,

but sometimes it’s nice to let other people add on and you might learn something you hadn’t thought about as well’.”

• ‘Feeling’ and ‘connecting’ through talk/discourse:• “Make them feel it’s an okay place to be”.• “They sort of feel like they can ask me a question”.• “That’s probably the conversation that we’d need to have”.• “I think that’s probably a conversation”.• “I try and make sure in classes I get around to everybody, I talk to everybody, I have a chat to everyone”. • “I went over to her at one point to have a chat with her”.


• Disposition:• Being one of the girls — ‘We’re in this together’• Supporting learning and participation by leading/modelling by example

• Teacher as role-model

• Throughout the school: Posters, pictures, and slogans of ‘Belonging’• Images of ‘the girl’ to be [to ‘fit in here’]

Identifying contradictions within activity systems: The potential for transformative action/practice

• Contradictions within activity are significant– They present opportunities and possibilities for interruption, resolution and, by extension,

concrete, practical change– CHAT was developed not merely as an object for research, but

as a mediatory tool to transform existing conditions to result in different outcomes (Engeström 2000, 2005)

• Activity conceptualised as system articulates points of tension within and between systems to understand how and why contradictions arise, and, most crucially, what possibilities might exist to alleviate, resolve, or remove them in the hope of alternate ‘preferred futures’ (Pennycook 2001: 8; Roth 2004)

• The next stage of analysis:• To examine these emergent findings in relation to the distribution, exchange,

and consumption sub-systems of these teachers’ activity (i.e., their relationship with site and context)

Conclusion

• For researching SJDs, CHAT, and its conceptualisation of activity in particular, provides important new tools to (re)engage with established sociological critiques focused on social structures and systems

– Conceptually, a framework to better clarify (and thus identify) a largely under-theorised distinction between dispositions and beliefs, and reasons for their differing impact in relation to what we ultimately see carried out, at times, in practice

– Methodologically, transcending what could easily become feelings of ‘inevitability’ if we do accept and recognise SJDs as ‘inherent’ qualities of social conditions, and the resultant uncertainty of how things could therefore ever be different from simply ‘what is’, through tools that help better articulate and identify the possibilities that do exist for practical change and transformation to bring about better social outcomes

Reconceptualising teachers’ work as activity: Expanding activity theory through Bourdieu Russell...

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