Identifying Contradictions in Science Education Activity Using the Change Laboratory Methodology

Abstract

The study is based on an implementation of the basic steps of the Change Laboratory methodology (Engeström,Virkkunen, Helle, Pihlaja & Poikela, 1996) at the University of Ioannina. It was derived by a discussion withmaster’s students during a course about science education curricula in pre-school and primary education and theireffectiveness in the current educational system. Students’ engagement in Science Education is a multifaceted andcomplex process. Under a socio-cultural approach it constitutes an activity system which consists of several elementsand as a whole, is interconnected and interacting with more activity systems which interfere in the process. Theelement that connects all the above systems is the shared object which in the case we are studding is theenhancement of teachers’ confidence in teaching science education. The developmental work research methodology(Virkkunen & Newnham, 2013; Engestrom, 2015) was chosen in order the participants to reflect on the currentactivity, to identify the contradictions of the activity and propose solutions forming a new model. Within thisimplementation Engestrom’s triangular model of the Activity system (2001) is deployed and qualitative researchmethods are applied to analyze the content of the CL sessions occurred among participants. The findings of thisstudy attempt to examine the challenges of the participating teachers in teaching science education and how theirconfidence can be enhanced and furthermore, the CL methodology as a tool in professional development.