Human Assumptions

University of Luxembourg
Faculté de Lettres, des Sciences Humaines, des Arts, et des Sciences de l’Éducation

EXPLORING LEARNING PROCESSES WITHIN A COLLABORATIVE STUDY CIRCLE
Cultural-historical activity theory perspective on individual and social transformation

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Master in Learning and Development in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts

Master académique - Master of Arts

1. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Charles MAX
2. Supervisor: Study director Dr. Gudrun ZIEGLER
Presented by Jean-Marie NAU
February 2012
Members of the Jury: Professors Charles Max, Georges Steffgen, Thierry Dubreuilh (external expert), Anola Bracaj (student expert)
 
Abstract (721 words)
The purpose of this study is to explore learning processes within a collaborative study group, engaged on a path of individual and social transformation, with the perspective of cultural-historical activity theory. The topic opens up a window on processes in learning communities beyond school-related education. The objective is to gain insights how learning takes place in the activity, what the tools are that the participants use in the activity, how these tools guide their learning, and how the participants’ multivoicedness influences the learning process,.
Research as a process
Scientific method as a truth seeking endeavour is interpretive, and demands clarity about the basic set of beliefs that guides action, and the interpretive framework that contains the ontological, epistemological, and methodological premises.
The two-fold moral purpose of any human being - to develop their latent potentialities through efforts to contribute to the advancement of civilization, - constitutes the core element of a conceptual framework that governs Bahá’í educational activity.
This research presents a modest contribution to explore a tiny facet and fragment of social reality, and is not a description of the world as it is. The study represents one perspective on social reality, a reality that is whole.
History is not just a series of events, but develops. Humanity as an organic entity evolves, in its collective life, towards maturity, and the distinguishing attribute of this maturity is the unification of the human race.
Participants and research instruments
The unit of analysis consists of a group of five participants who start a course on how to provide children, aged five to eight, moral, spiritual, and values-based training. The data collected includes five video-recorded group sessions and interviews, written questionnaires, notes, and a number of documents, which include primary texts, written by the central authors and institutions of the Bahá’í community, by individuals or Bahá’í inspired organisations.
The concept of learning is applied to the individual and social plane. The analysis at the micro-level is referring to individual utterances and joint conversations. References are made to acquisition and participation approaches and their interconnectedness.
I use activity theory to frame the analysis and discourse analysis to analyze the data. Activity theory states, that a collective activity, with the basic purpose shared by others, is undertaken by people who are motivated by a purpose or towards the solution of a problem, which is mediated by tools, used in order to achieve an outcome.
When we communicate, we may strive for clarity, but we are always situated in an historical context and what we say is influenced by our multivoicedness. Reflecting on what people have said and written, and thereby discovering meaning and interpretation is the basis of discourse analysis.
Findings & Implications
The study shows how learning takes place through a complex interaction between all of the elements in the activity system. Nine distinct instances offer insights that this particular type of collaborative activity encourages and promotes the exchange of questions, ideas, experiences, thoughts and knowledge among participants.
The study shows that participants negotiate tools given by the content-based curriculum and suggests that participants in a collaborative learning activity focus on their objectives and outcome, and thus choose, define and appropriate themselves suitable tools. Several mediating artefacts, tools and signs were used by the participants and shaped their learning.
The study circle observed is at the beginning of its historicity. Study circles are developing with their own historicity in different contexts and cultures, and influence the way participants learn. As participants bring in their historicity and multivoicedness, they influence the learning activity. There is interconnectedness and mutual influence between participants and the learning activity.
The study shows how participants bring into the activity their multivoicedness and historicity. Most of these voices help the participants towards reaching their objective and outcome.
In the analysis of the 21 excerpts, I identified 32 voices that participants bring into the activity, collected into seven interacting and overlapping categories.
I suggest that participants, engaged in collaborative learning activities, raise their awareness that their multivoicedness influences their learning.
The study suggests that the existence and deliberate creation of certain conditions among participants in a learning activity influence the learning process. They include mutual trust, honesty, unity, a welcoming and encouraging attitude, a respect for the opinion of others, adopting a humble learning attitude, humour, and taking ownership of one’s learning.
Keywords: cultural-historical activity theory, mediating artefacts, learning, development, historicity, multivoicedness.
DOI: 10.13140/2.1.4135.4244

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