Artefact-Centric Activity Theory as an analytical framework for systematising teachers’ evaluations of app use
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/nomad.v31i3.160151Keywords:
artefact-centric activity theory, Tablets, mathematics teaching, affordances, constraintsAbstract
Educational apps are increasingly used in primary mathematics classrooms, yet there is limited clarity on how to analyse teachers’ evaluations of app-mediated activity. Existing tools for evaluating apps often emphasise predefined criteria for usability or quality assurance and provide limited support for analysing teachers’ reflections on app use in their mathematics lessons. In this study, I explore whether and how Artefact-Centric Activity Theory (ACAT) can be operationalised for analysing teachers’ evaluations of app use in classrooms. To illustrate the analytical possibilities of ACAT, semi-structured interviews with two third-grade teachers in Norway were analysed. The analysis suggests that ACAT may offer a way to identify the possibilities and limitations teachers described in relation to mathematical content, app design, learner activity, and classroom interaction while using apps. This suggests that ACAT may be operationalised to provide insights from interview data about participants’ evaluations of app use.
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