Abstract

In this paper, we revisit a long-running conversation about situated learning and the design of environments for disciplinary engagement. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, scholars advanced an anthropological critique of the then-dominant acquisitionist paradigm of formal schooling with a situated view focused on membership in communities and participation in practices. The critique led to a practice turn in education and a consensus model for reform-oriented school classrooms as orchestrated practice fields where students engage in disciplinary practices within a structured environment. Questions remain, however, about the nature of the practices and communities that this model engenders. We join this conversation through an anthropological investigation of a self-organized group of teachers who gather outside of school hours to engage in collaborative mathematical activity. Participants have the flexibility to conduct their mathematical activity however they want; yet as we show, they tend to reproduce a practice field resembling a reform-oriented school mathematics classroom. This may seem unremarkable, even desirable for many reformers. However, assuming that teachers can or should only replicate practice fields when doing mathematics may be selling them short. Our findings suggest a durability and invisibility to practice fields that may be limiting the possibilities for the production of novel learning communities within schools.

摘要

在本文中，我们重新审视了关于情境学习和学科参与环境设计的长期对话。在整个 1970 年代和 1980 年代，学者们对当时占主导地位的正规学校教育的获得主义范式进行了人类学批判，其情境观点侧重于社区成员资格和实践参与。批评导致了教育实践转向和以改革为导向的学校课堂的共识模型，作为精心安排的实践领域，学生在结构化环境中参与学科实践。然而，关于这种模式所产生的实践和社区的性质的问题仍然存在。我们通过对一群自组织的教师进行人类学调查来加入这场对话，这些教师在课余时间聚集在一起参与协作数学活动。参与者可以灵活地进行他们想要的数学活动；然而，正如我们所展示的，它们倾向于复制一个类似于以改革为导向的学校数学课堂的练习场。这对于许多改革者来说似乎并不引人注目，甚至是可取的。然而，假设教师可以或应该只在做数学时复制实践领域可能会卖空他们。我们的研究结果表明，实践领域的持久性和不可见性可能会限制在学校内建立新型学习社区的可能性。参与者可以灵活地进行他们想要的数学活动；然而，正如我们所展示的，它们倾向于复制一个类似于以改革为导向的学校数学课堂的练习场。这对于许多改革者来说似乎并不引人注目，甚至是可取的。然而，假设教师可以或应该只在做数学时复制实践领域可能会卖空他们。我们的研究结果表明，实践领域的持久性和不可见性可能会限制在学校内建立新型学习社区的可能性。参与者可以灵活地进行他们想要的数学活动；然而，正如我们所展示的，它们倾向于复制一个类似于以改革为导向的学校数学课堂的练习场。这对于许多改革者来说似乎并不引人注目，甚至是可取的。然而，假设教师可以或应该只在做数学时复制实践领域可能会卖空他们。我们的研究结果表明，实践领域的持久性和不可见性可能会限制在学校内建立新型学习社区的可能性。假设教师可以或应该只在做数学时复制实践领域可能会卖空他们。我们的研究结果表明，实践领域的持久性和不可见性可能会限制在学校内建立新型学习社区的可能性。假设教师可以或应该只在做数学时复制实践领域可能会卖空他们。我们的研究结果表明，实践领域的持久性和不可见性可能会限制在学校内建立新型学习社区的可能性。