Expansive Learning of Teacher Team in Curriculum Development : Collaboration and Knotworking

Abstract

Teachers' work is rapidly changing under the influence of educational reformation these days and those factors like societal need states. In this study, I conducted "developmental work research", which is based on the cultural-historical activity theory. And the focus of the research was given to the teachers' collaborative work on curriculum development for the "integrated curriculum" in a public school and analyzed how teachers' work changing and what was the contradictions they were facing in everyday practice. Through this analysis, I try to figure out the possibility of transformation of teachers' work. The critical issues they were facing in this elementary school were summarized as following; a) shortage the number of teachers for the practice of "integrated curriculum", b) lack of shared idea/image or understanding of "integrated curriculum" within teacher team. For the challenge to solve a), they tried to get enough number of adults/teachers by crossing their boundary of ordinary way of classroom practice and collaborate with organization not only teachers in this school but also other organization out of the school. Teacher team challenged to transform their activity system by re-defining the boundary of their work and by mediating new cultural tools. And for b), teachers came to aware of their need to transform their way of communicate with each other and the challenge to create new culture is the next issue for them. The task of educational practice study could be trying to catch this very moment of transformation and encourage them by keeping an eye on teachers' expansive learning in everyday practice.