Aims and purposes
The study addresses the research interest of Curriculum Studies, Leadership, and Educational Governance (CLEG). The phenomenon under study is tool mediation in the education of school leaders in programs at universities. The term "tool" has a broad meaning. It refers to material tools (e.g., films, videos, books) and non-material tools (e.g., language, theoretical models, analytic concepts, case methodologies).
The purpose is two-fold: (1) to contribute new insights into tool mediation in school leadership programs at universities, and (2) to create a foundation for discussing the practical, political, and research implications of the findings locally and internationally.
To meet the aim, the following research questions guide the analysis: How is the use of tools situated and experienced in program activities; how is the use of tools experienced in program activities and after course completion, and; how is the selection of artifacts legitimated in program designs, policy documents, and program activities.
Theoretical and methodological approaches
The study is positioned within a sociocultural tradition. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is used as a theoretical framework. CHAT allows the examination of tool mediation processes within and across contexts. The study is based on audio- and video data from situated program activities, audio recordings from interviews, and textual material. The data is subject to content-, as well as interaction analyses. The study compares two cases, one program in Norway, and one program in the US.
The Study has support from Teaching Learning Videolab (TLVlab)
Duration of the study
October 2015- December 2020.