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Educational Action Research
Vol. 14, No. 4, December 2006, pp. 547–568
The relation between tools used in
action research and the zone of
proximal development
Ann-Christine Wennergren a * and Karin Rönnerman b
a Luleå University of Technology, Sweden; b Göteborg University, Sweden
REAC_A_197480.sgm
10.1080/09650790600975791
Educational 0965-0792 Original 2006 Taylor 14 4000000December Ann-ChristineWennergren
acwe@ltu.se and & Article Francis (print)/1747-5074 Action 2006 Ltd Research (online)
This article describes a national school improvement project involving five compulsory schools for
hard-of-hearing pupils, located in different parts of Sweden. Using action research, the teachers tried
to change the communication patterns among the pupils by changing their own classroom practices,
In this process the teachers tested and used different tools, such as writing, shadowing and facilitating
each other, over a three-year period. The purpose of this article is to examine how tools used in action
research can be used to promote learning in relation to the concept of the zone of proximal development.
The theoretical framework of the study is based on action research, as a collaborative way
of creating knowledge, and on sociocultural learning theories. The basic assumption is that teachers,
by using different tools, also challenge each other’s learning. The results show the importance of
internalising tools that become owned by individuals or communities of practise. To be able to
assume an active role in the zone of proximal development, and to produce knowledge collaboratively,
a meaning-making process was needed. It was found that this could be realised if the participants
had an awareness of how to function as a critical friend among colleagues. Furthermore, the
results revealed that, by using different tools, different voices can be heard. Three categories of voices
were identified.
Keywords: Critical friend; Professional development; Scaffolding; Tools in action research;
Voices; Zone of proximal development
Introduction
Over the past 15 years, teachers’ professionalism has been on the agenda. Different
projects that aim to find forms of collaboration between teachers and researchers for
the purpose of improving practice by utilising experiences and theories are currently in
progress. One field involved in this area is action research. In their handbook on
*Corresponding author. Department of Music and Media, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Email: acwe@ltu.se
ISSN 0965-0792 (print)/ISSN 1747-5074 (online)/06/040547–22
© 2006 Educational Action Research
DOI: 10.1080/09650790600975791