Looking at action research through the lenses of sociocultural psychology and activity theory

Sociocultural research and activity theory (SCRAT) are developments of the work of Vygotsky, which aim to capture how minds and actions are shaped by, and shape the opportunities for thinking and action available. SCRAT requires a rethinking of commonly held interpretations of relationships between culture and mind, and knowledge and action, so that attention is paid to how learners interpret and respond to the opportunities available to them. Like action research, SCRAT emphasises the development of a capacity to make informed interpretations of cultural contexts and the importance of collaborative or systemic responses to those interpretations. It adds to these concerns, a focus on the historical construction of possible interpretations and responses, and so offers a potentially useful way of mapping the developments being made by action researchers in their institutional settings. It is not suggested, however, that SCRAT is a substitute for action research, but that it may illuminate explorations of informed action and institutional change in action research