Tracing learning processes

Our research field focuses on the study of learning processes at a micro-level among children and/or adults (e.g. educators, parents) in school- and out of school contexts. Relying on a socio-cultural perspective we view learning as a dialogic, mediated and situated process. People appropriate cultural tools (e.g. language, literacy, concepts), in order to (co-)construct and transform their relationships with each other and the world. Such an approach to learning implies a detailed analysis of social interactions and of the socio-cultural and historical context of the particular activity setting. Thus, more refi ned research objects include meaning-making processes, collaborative learning processes among children (e.g. peers) and/or adults (e.g. teachers), the use of artefacts, the co-construction of professional learning communities, etc. By closely analysing these multi-faceted processes, we intend to contribute to a more thorough understanding of learning and its associated contexts. Our research activities follow an ethnographic, a case study or an action research approach. Consequently, we mainly rely on qualitative methods such as video observation, participant observation, interviews or documentation of artefacts.