Crossing Boundaries in Learning and Development Sanne Akkerman
Crossing Boundaries in Learning and Development Sanne Akkerman 22 Feb 2013 German-Dutch ISCAR Amsterdam
Educational research What is our scientific practice like, and how does this determine its theory?
Educational research Proposition 1: We use many everyday concepts that have helped us to focus our analysis, yet in a way have also become scientific concepts within which we are locked up ourselves.
Educational research Primary school Mathematics Secondary school History English Vocational/Higher education Workplace
Educational research Primary school Mathematics Proposition History 2: We risk loosing sight of English life as it unfolds Vocational/Higher education life-wide and life-long Secondary school Workplace
EARLI SIG 14 EARLI SIG 10 EARLI SIG 21 EARLI SIG 11 EARLI SIG 4
TRANSITIONS BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY CROSSING & LEARNING EMPIRICAL EXAMPLE IMPLICATIONS
Transitions • Lateral transitions: individuals leave one practice and move to another in the life course • Collateral transitions: individuals participate more or less simultaneously in more than one practice (Beach, 1999)
Smooth transitions
Smooth transitions
Smooth transitions
Smooth transitions
Encountering boundaries Peter Burke – Janus Head
Encountering boundaries Primary school History Mathematics Workplace Secondary school English Vocational/Higher education
Encountering boundaries Sophia: And it’s confusing. And some people that understand me say, ‘it’s really easy, what’s wrong with you? It’s easy. ’ But it’s hard, it’s hard. Probably it depends on what kind of background you have too, cause if you had parents that been too college, they’ve been prepared… But if you had parents that dropped out and stuff like that, you know, it’s different, it’s harder. Cause you try to get help from them, you know, when you’re doing your homework. They don’t understand what you are doing, they don’t know, and it’s harder. (Phelan, 1991)
Encountering boundaries Linda: Mandy [supervisor] wanted me to move two people, and Mrs. Vanderholt [mentor] didn’t. And so I didn’t [move the students] because I figured it was her classroom and I just can’t move them. I think Mrs. Vanderholt has been teaching for so long that she sees everything. And I think in a lot of ways it’s good. I mean I really do. At first, because I’ve been in college so long, when I first went in there I thought, this seems so structured and stuff, but she knows what doesn’t work. She really, I think judging from all her lesson plans, she has really tried everything over the years. And I think sometimes the university supervisors see things from a more philosophical standpoint. (Alsup, 2006)
Encountering boundaries Patient: If I go to [the pulmonary clinic at] specialized care there is a different doctor every time who prescribes a different medicine. Then I visit the doctor [at the health center clinic] and she says that you cannot take that medicine [for your urinary tract infection] now. And I am confused because I do not know whom to believe and what is wrong with me. (…)They have not fixed [my condition], no one has fixed it; no one has cared for me. (Kerosuo, 2008)
Encountering boundaries Social and cultural differences between practices giving rise to discontinuities in action or interaction Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Encountering boundaries Patient: If I go to [the pulmonary clinic at] specialized care there is a different doctor every time who prescribes a different medicine. Then I visit the doctor [at the health center clinic] and she says that you cannot take that medicine [for your urinary tract infection] now. And I am confused because I do not know whom to believe and what is wrong with me. (…)They have not fixed [my condition], no one has fixed it; no one has cared for me. (Kerosuo, 2008)
Encountering boundaries Patient: If I go to [the pulmonary clinic at] specialized care there is a different doctor every time who prescribes a different medicine. Then I visit the doctor [at the health center clinic] and she says that you cannot take that medicine [for your urinary tract infection] now. And I am confused because I do not know whom to believe and what is wrong with me. (…)They have not fixed [my condition], no one has fixed it; no one has cared for me. (Kerosuo, 2008)
Encountering boundaries Patient: If I go to [the pulmonary clinic at] specialized care there is a different doctor every time who prescribes a different medicine. Then I visit the doctor [at the health center clinic] and she says that you cannot take that medicine [for your urinary tract infection] now. And I am confused because I do not know whom to believe and what is wrong with me. (…)They have not fixed [my condition], no one has fixed it; no one has cared for me. (Kerosuo, 2008)
Encountering boundaries Patient: If I go to [the pulmonary clinic at] specialized care there is a different doctor every time who prescribes a different medicine. Then I visit the doctor [at the health center clinic] and she says that you cannot take that medicine [for your urinary tract infection] now. And I am confused because I do not know whom to believe and what is wrong with me. (…)They have not fixed [my condition], no one has fixed it; no one has cared for me. (Kerosuo, 2008)
Encountering boundaries Social and cultural differences between practices giving rise to discontinuities in action or interaction Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Boundary crossing Peter Burke – Second Encounter
Boundary crossing • ‘Extending relations beyond institutionalized arrangements’ (Suchman, 1994) • Process of (re)establishing continuity, despite differences that can and may remain to exist • Not necessarily overcoming difference by sameness or homogeneity
Boundary crossing How does it take place? How does it relate to learning? 181 studies of “boundary crossing” and “learning” in social sciences Akkerman, S. F. & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132 – 169.
Boundary crossing within and between school-work-everyday life School Work Everyday Life 3/2/2021 Io. E May 2010 School Work Everyday Life 12 17 11 127 3 11 27 2011 Akkerman & Bakker,
Boundary crossing by Collaboration Person(s) Artefact/object boundary project boundary work boundary practice broker boundary crosser boundary worker boundary crossing agent boundary object (Star, 1989)
Boundary crossing & learning Negotiating and combining ingredients from different contexts to achieve hybrid situations (Engeström, & Kärkkäinen, 1995)
Learning mechanisms Identification Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Learning mechanisms Identification Coordination Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Learning mechanisms Identification Coordination Reflection Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Boundary crossing & Learning mechanisms Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Boundary crossing & Learning I am conscious of myself and become myself only while revealing myself for another, through another, and with the help of another. . [E]very internal experience ends up on the boundary. (Bakhtin, 1984, p. 287) Akkerman & Niessen, 2011
Boundary crossing & Learning at three levels Learning mechanisms Institutional Level Interpersonal Level Intrapersonal level Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman & Bakker, 2011 b
An academic PDS partnership Project leader School board directors PRIMARY SCHOOL School leader Internal facilitator TEACHERS’ COLLEGE Teacher education Educational research Director Lector WPL coordinator Associate Lector Teachers in research Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
An academic PDS partnership Project leader School board directors PRIMARY SCHOOL School leader Internal facilitator TEACHERS’ COLLEGE Teacher education Educational research Director Lector WPL coordinator Associate Lector Teachers in research Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
COORDINATION AT ALL LEVELS Learning mechanisms Institutional Level Interpersonal Level Intrapersonal level Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Coordination at institutional level: an infrastructure Project leader School board directors PRIMARY SCHOOL School leader Internal facilitator Teachers in research Student teachers Policy meetings Broad Knowledge Community Small Knowledge Community TEACHERS’ COLLEGE Teacher education Educational research Director Professor WPL coordinator Associate Professor Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Coordination at institutional level: one research model Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Coordination at interpersonal level: Having meetings and exchange of information Policy meetings Broad Knowledge Community Small Knowledge Community Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Coordination at intrapersonal level: Preparing meetings Project leader Policy meetings School leader Internal facilitator Student teachers Professor Broad Knowledge Community Small Knowledge Community Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Empirical Examples of BC at three levels Learning mechanisms Institutional Level Interpersonal Level Intrapersonal level Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Reflection at interpersonal level: Research culture, attitude Academic PDS as concept Broad Knowledge Community Lack of involvement of teachers Small Knowledge Community Simone: “it is not about taking all technical steps defined by the collective practice based research model, but about developing an academic attitude” Group: “How can we develop a research culture and make sure everyone owns the Academic PDS concept? ” Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Reflection at intrapersonal level: Questioning own competence in research Project leader School leader Internal facilitator “I do not think I have all the skills yet for supervising research, to guide the research activities in the SKC. ” Professor Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Admiraal, Simons, & Niessen, 2006
Transformation at the intrapersonal level Learning mechanisms Institutional Level Interpersonal Level Intrapersonal level Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Transformation at intrapersonal level: Centrality in partnership Project leader School leader Professor Internal facilitator Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Transformation at intrapersonal level: we OWN and ARE the concept Project leader School leader Internal facilitator “I find it hard to step down now. I feel that I am the one who keeps it alive” Professor Teacher research educators Student teachers Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Overview findings Learning mechanisms Institutional Level Interpersonal Level Intrapersonal level Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation Akkerman, Bruining, & Van den Eijnden, 2012
Intrapersonal level: challenge of being at the boundary Person(s) broker boundary crosser boundary worker boundary crossing agent Both/And “I always have to endure criticism, from academics for being too aligned with industry, and by industry for being too academic” (Fisher and Atkinson-Grosjean, 2002) Neither/Nor Akkerman & Bakker, 2011
Intrapersonal level: identity theory • Multiple • Unitary • Discontinuous • Continuous • Social • Individual Akkerman & Meijer, 2011
Discussion • Why the fuzz? • What are possible implications for our research field? 3/2/2021 Io. E May 2010 52
Why the fuzz about transitions and boundary crossing NOW? • Increasing specialisation and institutionalization BUT also sometimes BIGGER ISSUES to address • More dynamic pathways in education, careers and life • Possible • Accepted • Expected? 3/2/2021 Io. E May 2010 53
What are the implications for our field?
What are the implications for our field? Engeström, 2001
What are the implications for our field?
Thank you
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