ABSTRACT. In this proposal, the nature and the dimensions of social educators’ expertise are highlighted through the sociocultural lenses (Edwards, 2005; Wertsch, 1996). In this perspective, educational expertise is strongly intertwined with the institutional conditions of the specific settings, the different participants’ motives, as well as the existing mediational means. Expertise is conceptualised as the dynamic adaptation to the evolving constraints of the emerging problems in an educational context (Hedegaard and Fleer, 2008). A case study of the expertise developed by a group of educators in an after-school/leisure centre in a north-eastern town (Italy) is introduced to highlight the educators’ relationships with their positionality, the mediational tools they use, with their coordination with children's motives and the educational implications achieved.

ABSTRACT. Ergonomic interventions aim to improve or adapt work situations, enhancing both health and performance. Ergonomists operate within evolving organizations and must adjust their methods to address emerging health risks. This proposal explores the learning challenges and historically rooted contradictions in ergonomic interventions. It draws on a workshop inspired by the change laboratory methodology, involving 75 consultant ergonomists and trainees. Key tools such as the history wall, activity system, contradictions, and “four fields models” are mobilized. The presentation highlights the importance of historical analysis, the future-oriented nature of the laboratories, and the potential for expanding the scope of ergonomic practice.

Extended abstract

Faced with the challenge of the Anthropocene, the radical transformation of work is essential, insofar as work and its organisation are underlying causes of the climate crisis. In the context of a fourth generation of work within cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), it becomes necessary to identify communities with whom to act. The community of ergonomists constitutes such a community, having historically formed around issues related to workplace interventions. This proposal aims to identify the learning challenges and historically inherited contradictions of ergonomic interventions, based on a workshop inspired by the change laboratory methodology (Engeström, 2007). Within this framework, we conceptualise ergonomic intervention as an activity system that has evolved through historically situated contradictions. This perspective is not new (Blight, 2024; Vilela et al., 2020). In this context, ergonomic intervention is shaped by a contradiction between academic discipline and professional practice. Initially focused on individual work situations, recent developments call for a radical transformation of ergonomic practice to align it with the challenges of the Anthropocene (Pueyo, 2022). This developmental approach implies involving participants in the redefinition of their activity and in the reconceptualisation of its object. Following an invitation to co-organise two study days on ergonomics and CHAT in April 2025, a design group was created to help ergonomist participants appropriate the concepts and tools of change laboratories and reflect on the history and future of ergonomic intervention. The objective was to provide an opportunity for participants to experiment with these tools and support the collective transformation of ergonomics practices through intergenerational learning. The research questions were: • What developmental periods of ergonomics do participants identify? • What areas of development do they see for ergonomic intervention? • How do participants use the tools of the change laboratory? Methods Seventy-five participants—students in a Master’s programme in ergonomics and professional ergonomists—were divided into three groups of 25, each working in subgroups of 4–5. Each group was tasked with creating a historical frieze to represent developmental periods in ergonomics, using selected mirror data (e.g. themes of the French ergonomics society, changes in work organisation, workers’ roles in interventions, evolution of ergonomics research). Each group then produced a summary of their discussions. In the afternoon, a collective discussion focused on identifying historically inherited contradictions, key challenges, and a proximal zone of development using the “four fields model”. Data collected included workshop discussions, group outputs, Master’s student reports, and field notes from informal exchanges. Results and Discussion Results showed heterogeneity across group syntheses, but all identified development trajectories for ergonomics, such as: 1. Increasing stakeholder participation, from observation to active engagement. E.g., a participant said: “With the change laboratory, it’s the operators who are involved in the analysis – that’s a huge shift!” 2. A shift from focusing on isolated work situations to broader work organisation and societal issues. 3. Moving from task-level adaptation to the transformation of collective work to address major challenges. Key concerns identified were the Anthropocene and ageing at work. From these, participants collectively proposed a new, broader object for ergonomics, termed “political ergonomics”, characterised by: 1. The need for interventions beyond company boundaries. 2. Empowering workers to take control of the transformation process. 3. Contextualising interventions at the local level. Results will be discussed through three lenses: the role of history in constructing a desirable future; the challenge of facilitating change with large groups; and the methodological contributions to the change laboratory approach within the framework of a fourth-generation CHAT.

Bibliography Bligh, B. (2024). The Change Laboratory as a Collaborative Approach to Designing Tools and Activity Systems for Learning. In A.R Costa & R. Cooper (Eds), Design for Education (pp. 232-247). Routledge. Engeström, Y. (2007). Putting Vygotsky to Work. The Change Laboratory as an Application of Double Stimulation. In H. Daniels, M. Cole, & J. V. Wertsch (Eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky (pp. 363-382). Cambridge University Press. Pueyo, V. (2022). Contribuer à des futurs souhaitables pour répondre aux défis de l’Anthropocène: les apports d’une Prospective du travail. Activités, (19-2), 15-10. Vilela, R.A.G, Querol, M.A.P, Hurtado, S.L.B, Cerveny, G.C.O, & LopesM.G.R. (2020). Collaborative Development for the Prevention ofoccupational Accidents and Diseases. Springer.

ABSTRACT. Lev Vygotsky’s work underwent a series of shifts and changes that gradually led to the formation and systematisation of what we currently identify as cultural-historical theory. Unfortunately, his early death due to a chronic battle with tuberculosis, left no time for completing one of the “masterpieces” that he and his colleagues were working between 1927 and 1934: a theory of how concepts form and develop. This presentation attempts to: (1) place Vygotsky’s theory on concepts within the frame of the historical development of his research programme; (2) summarise the key points and make comparisons between the two main phases of Vygotsky’s work on concept formation; (3) critically review some of the interpretations found in the literature and; (4) pose key questions that could enable Vygotskian scholars to re-conceptualise and extend Vygotsky’s theory of concept development.

ABSTRACT. Abstract This paper critically explores the epistemological challenges posed by the widespread proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through the lens of Lev Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory. It highlights how AI's persistent metatheoretical blindspot—particularly its ontological and epistemological commitments—arises from an overreliance on methodologies that overlook the sociohistorical dimensions of cognition. The paper contrasts two major AI paradigms: symbolic AI, grounded in rationalism, and connectionism, based on empiricism. Despite methodological differences, both approaches are limited by dualistic ontological and epistemological commitments that fail to account for the complexity and developmental nature of cognition. Drawing on Vygotsky's conceptualisation of cognitive development, the paper argues for an epistemological shift in AI research. Vygotsky’s dialectical method, which views cognition as socially mediated and historically evolving, offers a more integrated model of intelligence, moving beyond the constraints of the empiricism-rationalism dichotomy. The paper concludes that a dialectical approach is necessary to rethink the epistemological foundations of AI and to understand the complexity and developmental orientation of cognition.

Extended Abstract

This paper presents a critical examination of the epistemological foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) through the theoretical framework of Lev Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory. Despite the unprecedented technical achievements of AI, we argue that the field remains epistemologically underdeveloped, operating within largely unexamined philosophical frameworks. This paper argues that the epistemological frameworks underpinning AI research remain largely implicit and unexamined, creating a theoretical vacuum that limits both our understanding of AI's capabilities and its limitations. The field's metatheoretical blind spots - particularly regarding ontological and epistemological assumptions - stem from methodological approaches that fail to account for the sociohistorical embeddedness of both human cognition and AI systems. The paper addresses the need for AI to redefine its subject matter and methodology. Unlike established scientific disciplines with a clearly delineated object of study, AI's domain often overlaps with psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and philosophy of mind, creating ambiguity about its precise focus. This definitional ambiguity has important epistemological implications. Without a clearly articulated subject matter, AI research runs the risk of conflating distinct processes - human cognition, animal intelligence, and computational processes - under the generic banner of 'intelligence'. Moreover, the lack of disciplinary boundaries allows AI to appropriate concepts from other fields without necessarily engaging with their theoretical contexts. Concepts such as ‘learning’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘dialogue generator’ are routinely applied to computational systems without adequate attention to their different meanings in different epistemological traditions. This conceptual importation, while pragmatically useful, often results in theoretical imprecision that hinders deeper understanding. Contemporary debates in AI can be situated within the classical philosophical opposition between rationalism and empiricism. This dichotomy manifests itself in two dominant research paradigms: symbolic AI and connectionism. Symbolic AI emerged from the 1950s computational metaphor of the mind, conceptualising cognition as rule-governed symbol manipulation and formal logical operations. The computational metaphor of the mind has a distinctly Cartesian legacy, maintaining a strict mind-body dualism in which cognitive processes (software) are treated as functionally independent of their material implementation (hardware). Symbolic AI's emphasis on rule-based reasoning and formal logic is consistent with traditional rationalist epistemological traditions that privilege innate structures. Moreover, the philosophical underpinnings of symbolic AI are deeply rooted in logical positivism and analytic philosophy, reflecting a view of cognition as fundamentally computational. In contrast, modern neural network approaches represent a revival of empirical epistemology, emphasising bottom-up learning through statistical processing of large data sets. This approach parallels 19th-century associationism, which views learning as the progressive strengthening of connections between sensory inputs and behavioural outputs. Critics have aptly described connectionism as “behaviourism in computer’s clothing” (Papert, 1988, p. 9). Despite its impressive pattern recognition capabilities, connectionism remains epistemologically limited by its fundamentally reductionist view of intelligence. By treating cognition primarily as pattern recognition across statistical regularities, connectionist approaches struggle to account for conceptual understanding, conceptual change and creativity. While they excel at reproducing patterns encountered in training data, these systems demonstrate fundamental limitations in understanding the semantic content of the patterns they manipulate and generating genuine conceptual innovations. Despite their opposition, both symbolic AI and connectionism maintain fundamental ontological and epistemological dualisms—between mind and body, innate structure and sensory input. These dualisms reflect a shared mechanistic worldview that fails to capture the dynamic, developmental, and dialectical nature of cognition that Vygotsky's work illuminates. To overcome these limitations, AI requires more than technical innovation - it requires a fundamental epistemological shift. Based on the study of complex, dynamic and historically evolving systems, Vygotsky's dialectical method paves the way for a truly integrated model of cognition - one that overcomes the shortcomings of both symbolic and connectionist paradigms and dismantles the dualistic and reductionist assumptions that dominate contemporary AI research. The paper concludes by advocating a ‘dialectical turn’ in AI research, urging researchers to foreground the complexity, historicity, and social mediation of cognitive processes - a shift that is seen as essential to resolving the deeper epistemological and methodological challenges facing contemporary science.

References

Dafermos, M. (in press). A Dialectical Perspective on Machine Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Eleutherna: Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences.

Dafermos, M. (in press). Vygotsky Meets Artificial Intelligence: A Cultural-Historical Perspective on the Epistemological Foundations of AI. Culture and Education.

El Maouch, M., & Jin, Z. (2022). Artificial Intelligence Inheriting the Historical Crisis in Psychology: An Epistemological and Methodological Investigation of Challenges and Alternatives. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.781730

Müller, V. (Ed.) (2013). Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence. Springer. Papert, S. (1988). One AI or many? Daedalus, Winter, 1-14.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In R.W. Rieber & A. S. Carton (Eds.), The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky (Vol. I, pp. 39–285). Plenum.

ABSTRACT. Abstract This research study focuses on the connection of Science Education, Health and the Environment through an educational program about water. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the contribution of an educational program on water in the direction of creating active citizens. Towards this direction, an educational program about water was developed using Cultural Historical Activity Theory as a theoretical framework. The educational program included activities from the three disciplines and was connected with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and with the curricula of pre-primary school education. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Analysis of results showed the importance of the connection of Science with the Environment and Health in education, considering that these areas should be central units in the school curricula. Most of the students were willing to design and use a similar educational program in their future classrooms expressing their restrictions and limitations in the form of contradictions.

Extended abstract The rapid developments at a global level, in terms of health, economy, politics, society and culture have set a new context and a need for modernization in education in the 21st century. Educational policies follow the lines of the globalized society and introduce innovations in their educational systems while at the same time reform their curricula at all levels of education. In this context, the necessity of developing skills related to scientific issues and active participation of citizen arises, and furthermore, the correlation of scientific concepts and the use of technology with social issues. This study focuses on the connection of Science Education, Health and the Environment through an educational program about water. The basic idea for connecting Science Education with the Environment and Health is based on the common benefits that arise for education from the combination of all three scientific fields. This specific approach is characterized as a new pedagogical approach, which connects Science Education, Environment and Health (Zeyer, et al 2021; Zeyer & Kyburz-Graber 2012). The main purpose of the study is to investigate the contribution of an educational program on water, which connects Science Education, Environment and Health in the direction of creating active citizens. The educational program is linked with the 17 Goals of Sustainable Development and the Agenda 2030 as well as the curricula of pre-primary school education, which promote the development of skills such as communication, creativity and critical thinking, social skills as well as skills related to citizenship. It was implemented through a series of 4 laboratory courses and at the same time all the material of the courses were available to university students on a distance learning educational platform. Participants to the educational program were 185 students from the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Ioannina, who attended the course "Teaching of Science Concepts in Early Childhood Education I", in the 3rd year of studies, during the winter semester of the 2021–2022 academic year. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used as a theoretical framework and more specifically the SCOPES methodology. Within this frame, research focused on studying the Systems of activity involved, the contradictions that arose, the Outcome of the results, the connection theory and practice (Praxis). Furthermore, the research follows the phases of an Expansive learning cycle (Engeström, 2020) for the development of educational material in the field of Science Education, the Environment and Health. In this sense, the field of Science teaching-learning process is expanded through a socio historical cultural perspective, so as to include new approaches and concrete initiatives combining science teaching with environmental and health issues. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including questionnaires about students’ views, program evaluation questionnaires as well as educational material that pre-service teachers developed at the end of the program. The research questions connected with this presentation mainly concern the Science Process Skills that can be developed according to pre-service teachers as well as the contradictions that arise during the design and implementation of an educational program that combines Science Education, Health and the Environment. The analysis of results showed that participants supported the connection of Science with the Environment and Health in education, considering that these areas should be central units in the school curricula, as the current school curricula do not seem to include subjects related to Health Education and the Environment to a large extent. The contradictions that appeared during the implementation of the educational program brought about changes in the entire activity system. They were expressed as conflicts, difficulties and dilemmas but also as phases of development of the educational program. The science process skills commonly identified in all three disciplines were: Experimenting, Communication, Observation, Inferring, Formulating Hypotheses, Interpretation, Predictions, Mathematical Expressions, Measurement, Sorting, Identification and control of variables and Formulating models. These skills, developed through an educational program that connects Science Education contributes to the scientific literacy citizens who have the opportunity to participate in global issues by utilizing their knowledge and experience within sociocultural context in which they live. Designing within a Science Education, Health and Environment approach for educational learning environments raises a number of questions about the state of environmental health issues in schools, with the skills to be developed in school for environmental health, the interpretation of these competencies in schools, books, and the assessment at the end of compulsory education, of the skills acquired by the students. These questions raise important issues in the design of educational programs that connect the three areas and open new fields of research.

References Engeström Y. (2020). Ascending from the Abstract to the Concrete as a Principle of Expansive Learning, Psychological Science and Education, 25(5), 31-43. Zeyer A., Kyburz-Graber R. (2021) Science|Environment|Health: An Introduction. In: Zeyer A., Kyburz-Graber R. (eds) Science | Environment | Health. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 10. Springer, Cham Zeyer, A. (2012). A Win-Win Situation for Health and Science Education: Seeing Through the Lens of a New Framework Model of Health Literacy. In A. Zeyer & R. Kyburz-Graber (Eds.), Science | Environment | Health. Towards a Renewed Pedagogy for Science Education. Dordrecht: Springer.

ABSTRACT. This paper aims to demonstrate the complementarity between the Clinic of Activity and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) through a case study conducted within a remote formative support program for early career teachers, implemented by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). The analysis is based on detailed verbatim excerpts from a remote support session. This study highlights three key dimensions: the interpretive reconstruction of a lived dilemma as the symptom of a systemic contradiction, the identification of an impeded activity arising from a lack of instrumental mediation, and the examination of a professional gesture as a possible trace of transformative agency.

ABSTRACT. International literature has shown that young children are natural explorers, curious about the world, and explore concepts and phenomena from the natural world. According to Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, play has a critical role in children's learning and development and is the dominant and guiding activity in early childhood. Although the literature indicates that preschoolers do learn science during play, we still do not know much about how they learn and how they form their personalized learning pathways in science. This study focuses on documenting and unpacking how preschool children’s learning pathways in science are formed within play-based settings. A set of cultural-historical concepts has been used as an analytical tool. The findings illustrate the turning points that formed children’s learning pathways in relation to their play and highlight how the interrelation between the individual and the collective forms conceptual learning in science. Capturing the individual along with the collective, it is shown how even if children started from the same point and arrived at the same goal, the learning pathway they developed was personalised and unique.

ABSTRACT. This study seeks to explore how children build scientific agency within the collective in early childhood educational settings. Focusing on the phenomenon of clouds formation, we showcase how preschoolers can collaborate effectively to form the scientific concept through successive phases of interactions and with no typical teaching intervention. The cultural-historical concepts of real and ideal forms, everyday and scientific concepts, intra and inter-psychological functioning are used as analytical tools. The findings map a child's learning pathway within the collective from the difficulty of forming an explanation for the phenomenon, to the formation of an explanatory model based on artificialism and human causality and finally, to an explanation compatible with the scientific model used in early childhood science education. A set of turning points in the interactions between the child and his peers is highlighted. The study concludes by emphasizing the significance of institutional pedagogical practices that cultivate collective science cultures.

ABSTRACT. This paper introduces the theory of reflexive masculinity to explore how men positioned between hegemonic and caring masculinities negotiate their gender identity. Drawing from Bourdieu’s theory of practice and Archer’s theory of reflexivity, we propose a model that examines how habitus, capital, and conversion factors (personal, institutional, historical) shape men’s masculine dispositions. We particularly focus on men who remain complicit with hegemonic masculinity while not fully embodying it, and on the conditions that may prompt reflexive change toward alternative expressions such as caring masculinity. Using the example of fathers' use of flexible working arrangements, we illustrate how social structures and agency interact in men’s masculine practices. The model contributes to cultural-historical and sociocultural understandings of gender identity by theorizing the role of reflexivity and context in enabling or inhibiting change. The framework has implications for transforming masculine norms in organizational, familial, and policy contexts.

ABSTRACT. This paper presents university students' perceptions of caregiving. From a participatory and inclusive research perspective, we developed 50 learning trajectories in collaboration with university students from Catalonia and the Basque Country. These trajectories were created based on discussions held during multiple meetings (typically four with each student). Using the transcripts of these meetings and the documents produced by each participant, the researchers drafted their respective learning trajectories, which were subsequently validated by the students. The findings are drawn from these trajectories. The main conclusions indicate that students particularly value self-care and social relationships involving caregiving. Additionally, the study confirms that caring for oneself, others, and the environment positively impacts students' personal and academic well-being, fostering their learning and health.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the perceived affordances and utility of patient journey mapping as a participatory design tool to enhance patient care, especially in geriatric and palliative settings. Twenty-one participants from seven healthcare organizations in France, Spain, and Portugal took part in a multiphase study to develop, evaluate, and refine journey mapping tools. Findings suggest that journey mapping effectively identifies care process issues and supports interdisciplinary communication, with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 48. Common uses included pinpointing pivotal care points and recognizing disease trajectory patterns. However, challenges with ease of use and tool confidence highlight the need for further training and support. Recommendations include improved digital infrastructure and structured templates. Future research should examine the tool’s long-term impact on patient outcomes and its adaptability across healthcare settings. Overall, the study underscores the potential of journey mapping to promote more patient-centered care.

ABSTRACT. This study investigated the effectiveness of a curriculum for teaching three mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder to develop play activities with their daughters during social isolation due to COVID-19. Based on videos sent by the mothers, target behaviors were identified in mother-daughter interactions within a playful context, and teaching procedures were initiated. The curriculum offered two types of play, divided into three stages. Demonstrative videos and written instructions were sent to teach the applications, and the mothers were monitored weekly, with synchronous and feedback guidance. The dependent variable was the mothers' behavior in interactions, including: selection of objects of interest, attention-getting, and promotion of eye contact through social engagement. The independent variable was the application of the Curriculum to achieve the objectives. The results indicated the effectiveness of the Curriculum, as mothers learned to promote play with their daughters and with better engagement.

ABSTRACT. This paper sketches a conceptual framework for analysing wilful agency as a continuous, subject-defined phenomenon within broader activity. Grounded in a case study of employee participation in a Swedish preschool, the framework is developed in dialogue with cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). A key analytical challenge addressed is how to distinguish between actions shaped by necessity and those that express the subject’s will. The framework conceptualises agency not as defined by its external form or observable outcomes, but by its meaning for the subject and the evaluative stance they take in relation to their activity. The broader research aims to understand how employees already exercise influence in their daily practices. In doing so, the research aims at contributing to a knowledge base that can support efforts to democratise workplaces from the bottom up—by making visible the subjective and situated ways in which power is negotiated and enacted.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates shifts in early childhood education students' attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and chatbots within science teaching contexts. Making use of Engeström’s Activity Theory framework, pre- and post-intervention data from 289 university students reveal statistically significant positive changes in perceptions of AI as effective science education teaching tools. Over a semester, lectures and workshops demonstrated AI's applications in preschool science education, particularly emphasizing the role of chatbots like ChatGPT. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated substantial improvements (p<0.001) in students' beliefs regarding AI’s efficacy in enhancing pedagogical methods. This research contributes to understanding how structured technological interventions can reshape educational practices, specifically in the science education domain.

ABSTRACT. Generative AI (GenAI) is being analyzed for its impact on student achievement through personalized learning, and concerns about the potential devaluation of educators' skills and expertise. Scholars traced diverse contradictions of GenAI’s potential to seemingly both help and harm education back to the origins of AI in Education (AIED), thereby broadening the discussion to include a cultural-historical perspective. However few studies consider AIED’s exchange value on teacher agency. This pilot study explores this subject by engaging primary school teachers in questions about AIED’s influence on their agency during a) lessons planning, b) teaching and c) assessment. The answers were analyzed using Natural Language Processing (NLP) looking for the emotional valence (Sentiment Analysis) and symptoms contradicting teacher agency (Natural Language Inference). The final results were contextualised within three distinct activity systems, revealing that the activity of lesson planning had a positive perceived agency, while the activities of teaching and assessment displayed a neutral and a negative perceived agency. A primary contradiction of AI being perceived as a helpful tool in the delivery of learning while also being perceived as negating the development of teacher agency was found. As well as a secondary contradiction consisting of a dilemma between efficiency and autonomy.

ABSTRACT. The integration of digital technology in secondary education presents significant policy challenges for school leaders. While technology has been integrated in the last decade with the promise of supporting active learning pedagogies, it has produced tensions in the teaching-learning activity system, including increased distractions, potential cognitive impacts, and limitations for students with learning difficulties. This study examines the educational impact of technologies through an ecological observational study in two secondary schools with different technology integration policies. The study identifies contradictions in technology integration and their implications for policy recommendations for school leaders.

ABSTRACT. This study, currently at the beginning of its data collection, is a doctoral research project that proposes an exploratory study of teacher agency through a co-design process aimed at developing a food education learning situation. Grounded in cultural-historical activity theory, this study examines the emergence and the development of transformative agency as a way to overcome contradictions generated by the introduction of a non-mandated curricular innovation. Preliminary findings from the co-design process – including the co-analysis of a problematic situation and the modelling of a didactic approach – will be presented. The relevance of co-design in school settings will also be discussed as a fruitful path to explore conditions that support the emergence of transformative teacher agency in the context of contemporary challenges related to adolescent health and well-being.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines how transformative agency by double stimulation (TADS; Sannino, 2020), emerges in the pedagogical change laboratory (PCL), a CHAT formative intervention combining the Change laboratory methodology (Virkkunen & Newnham, 2013) with the Learning by Design approach (Yeh et al., 2021). The PCL, incorporating card-based co-design of technology-enhanced learning scenarios within the cycle of expansive learning, is specifically designed to support teachers in transforming teaching-learning activity alongside effective integration of digital technologies. We analyse the complex dynamics of TADS in the PCL, with a focus on teachers’ transformative trajectory in the decision phase. The study reveals how the central conflict of motives drove teachers to develop a second stimulus and traces the warping process as it unfolded through their discourse and card use. It also shows how they crossed from paralysis to motion at the turning point to implement their new instrumental solution.

ABSTRACT. This paper presents an expanded version of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) tailored to the analysis of collaborative design processes. Rooted in empirical studies of interdisciplinary teams working on product and service design, the model introduces six new components—collective subject, object-in-context, signs, design criteria, imagined community, and agreed process—that complement and extend the original CHAT framework. These additions provide a more fine-grained understanding of the dynamics of design activities, particularly the co-evolution of problems and solutions, the formation of shared goals, and the influence of contextual and human-centered factors. Positioned as an outer layer to the classic CHAT triangle, the expanded model serves as both a theoretical and methodological tool for analyzing design practice. It also supports the development of data collection, an instrument used by designers themselves in real-world settings. This work aims to make design activities more visible and interpretable, ultimately contributing to improved design education, practice, and research.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the application of the Change Laboratory (CL) methodology, grounded in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), within the context of the “Marginality Working Group” of the Municipality of Varese. The objective was to initiate a participatory and collaborative transformation of local activity systems to respond more effectively to situations of extreme social marginality. Between November 2024 and February 2025, six sessions were held involving professionals from public institutions, social cooperatives, and local associations. Through collective analysis and design, participants identified key challenges and co-developed new strategies. The CL process enabled the shared reconstruction of work objects, the surfacing of systemic tensions from concrete cases, and a reflective analysis of the historical development of each organizational activity. Throughout the process, participants exercised individual and collective transformative agency, taking an active role in questioning existing practices, envisioning alternatives, and initiating change. Two main development trajectories and a zone of proximal development emerged from the collaborative work. Guided by CHAT, the group addressed structural contradictions and experimented with new models of inter-organizational coordination. These included the redefinition of the network of actors and services involved, the creation of a multidisciplinary team to foster integrated approaches, and the conceptualization of a shared physical space aimed at meeting users’ needs and enhancing service coordination. The outcomes highlight the potential of Change Laboratory to foster expansive learning and reconfigure professional practices. The initiative demonstrates a viable and transferable model for social innovation, reinforcing the connection between global theoretical frameworks and local policy action.

ABSTRACT. This study presents the development of a mobile writing application designed to support the writing skills of first- and second-grade primary school students, including those with special educational needs (SEN). The project was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, existing mobile applications available on the Android and iOS markets were reviewed to identify needs in terms of adaptability, accessibility, and pedagogical appropriateness. Teacher and expert feedback guided the design process to ensure usability and effectiveness. In the second phase, a mobile application was developed with key features such as content customization, simultaneous visual-auditory feedback, gamification, and gradual prompt reduction. The application enables teachers to monitor student progress, adjust the number of repetitions, and provide practice. The developed tool helps to fill a gap in both the literature and educational practice, can be effectively integrated into inclusive educational settings in Türkiye, and has the potential to be adapted for students and teachers in other countries as well.

ABSTRACT. This symposium addresses multi-level transformations across Vocational Education and Training (VET) organizations within a European a consortium spanning Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, and Spain. European VET systems face persistently high student dropout rates, which impact qualification levels. A central solution is to promote student engagement through transformative pedagogy and student-centered learning environments, known as Powerful Learning Environments (PLE). This symposium explores two interconnected topics: (a) the creation of PLEs, and (b) the professionalization of VET educators to sustain these environments. Drawing on the concept of boundary-crossing, PLEs are shaped through collaborations among learners, teachers, workplace mentors, and other stakeholders. The symposium bridges theoretical frameworks—particularly Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)—with trait-based approaches, offering a pluralistic research perspective that aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first presentation introduces the BRIDGE framework for effective VET teacher professionalization, linking it to transformative learning processes for sustainable development. The second presentation adopts a systemic, developmental approach to explore collective learning and multi-level transformations, addressing how PLEs evolve into Powerful Transformative Learning Environments (PTLE) at micro (school), meso (interprofessional), and macro (cross-national) levels. These environments are seen as tension-reducing systems where best practices are constantly renegotiated. The project’s empirical study, conducted across its network, identified exemplary cases of PTLE development, which will be analyzed and discussed in the third presentation. Overall, the symposium aims to foster constructive, cross-epistemological dialogue, contributing to the understanding and advancement of transformative educational practices within VET and beyond.

ABSTRACT. The workshop aims to define and outline new approaches for leveraging AI to modernize education and professional development for both future and current STEM educators. Bringing together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners, the workshop will foster a collaborative dialogue on the epistemological, instructional, and pedagogical boundaries shaping the use of AI in educational settings. Participants will share initiatives, experiences, and research findings, highlighting methods and best practices for the effective integration of AI tools into school classrooms for STEM teaching. The discussion will be around mapping the current needs of educators, resources, tools, implementations and policy impact.

ABSTRACT. This study aims at furthering the development of inclusion in computer science teaching and learning in secondary schools of the Vaud canton (Switzerland). Using the fabric of inclusion, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (C.H.A.T) and two French-language approaches to activity, we question the relationships between practices promoting inclusion and with the activities and lived experiences of teachers and students. This communication will present our initial findings and discuss the next phase of the study. Our initial findings reveal different objectives of teachers, their dilemmas and appropriation of computer science teaching. It also reveal a variety of relationships between gender, inclusion and meaning for the teacher in action. The next phase will focus on the situated nature of inclusion in action during lessons. We will also launch meetings with the teachers community in order to address the developmental challenges arising between gender inclusion, teaching and learning computer science.

ABSTRACT. Many people face barriers in accessing public information due to complex language and predominantly text-based formats. These challenges particularly affect people with disabilities, limiting their social and civic participation. This research project, conducted in a municipality in Quebec, Canada, aimed to transform communication practices—especially web content—to make them more accessible and understandable. Grounded in a participatory action research approach, the study involved municipal staff as well as citizens with disabilities in evaluating the accessibility and clarity of content. The transformation was supported by tools such as a plain language guide, multimodal formats, and AI-based technologies. Using Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a conceptual lens, the analysis highlights how a reorganization of work and the strategic use of tools contributed to a meaningful shift in public communication practices

ABSTRACT. This study explores the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on whether it serves as a partner in human–AI co-creation or poses a risk of teacher replacement. Drawing on a mixed-methods pilot survey involving 238 educators and comparative responses from six Large Language Models (LLMs), the research examines perceptions of AI’s current and future roles in teaching. The findings reveal a divided view among educators: 42% believe AI will not replace teachers, while 45% expect partial substitution by 2030. In contrast, all LLMs reject full replacement, predicting instead a shift toward augmentation and collaborative teaching. Both educators and AI systems agree that administrative work, assessment, and content generation are the most delegable functions. The study adopts the #ppAI6 framework to illustrate six levels of creative human–AI engagement, highlighting the transition from passive use to active co-creation. Overall, results suggest that the future of education depends on a synergistic partnership between human and artificial intelligence, in which empathy, creativity, and critical thinking remain distinctly human contributions. The study concludes with recommendations for fostering teacher-AI synergy and maintaining human-centered pedagogical values.

ABSTRACT. Two main findings are at the root of this project. First, universities, which sometimes exacerbate cultural discontinuity for many Indigenous people, contribute to the shock that many students experience upon entering graduate school. Secondly, some Indigenous people face pedagogical challenges that are not well defined and are not accompanied by solutions. We also note that many Indigenous students begin university after a break of sometimes more than five years in their academic career. In this situation, some have lost the necessary competencies for being a student. The concepts of needs identified by Indigenous people, respect for their traditions, close collaboration with them and cultural safety served as guiding principles for the iterative and participatory development of the Portal. The Portal hosts a university preparatory training program comprising three modules aimed at developing student competencies. In a transformative perspective, other modules will be designed in future iterations, and their themes will depend on the demand of the users, who will express their pedagogical needs through an online prioritization tool. This tool is one of the original ways that the team put forward to involve Indigenous students at all stages of the project. This active participation in decision making is also demonstrated by the fact that the Portal prototype is being consulted in various Indigenous communities. It should be noted that the features of the Portal are based on a preliminary needs analysis conducted by the team. This analysis encompassed research, discussions with Indigenous team members and, most importantly, the shared experiences of 58 adults from nine First Nations. The latter responded to a questionnaire designed to identify their needs in relation to entering, continuing and completing university. These varied sources of information allowed us to identify the issues and challenges that the project aims to address. First, while many Indigenous people must balance school, work and family and wish to remain in their community, the design of a remote portal will allow them to prepare for studies without prolonging their time away from the community. It will also increase the accessibility of higher education and foster student perseverance. Secondly, less than 40% of Indigenous households in Quebec have high-speed Internet access. This can be a barrier for those who wish to pursue studies remotely. To overcome the lack of access to a fast and reliable network, the team developed a “pre-university program in a box.” This technological solution provides online training without the need for an Internet connection. However, because a significant proportion of Indigenous students have regular or occasional access to the Internet, we also developed an online version of the program. In addition, we have designed this project to follow the principles of cultural safety: for example, by integrating into the Portal encouragement by Indigenous mentors and by offering coaching by an Indigenous coordinator. Kwe l’Université! is also intended to be a “virtual laboratory” where students in educational technology and distance education develop other modules or materials to enrich the Portal or the program.

ABSTRACT. This study, developed within the EDSSE project, applies Activity Theory (AT) to analyze educational practices mediated by digital technologies. The methodological process followed five phases: (1) the components of AT were defined as initial categories; (2) a systematic review identified recurring didactical and pedagogical criteria, which were organized into subcategories with observable indicators; (3) we conducted a three-round Delphi study where we prioritized and validated the subcategories, resulting in an observation guideline with two indicators per category (with a total of 14 indicators); (4) data are being collected through the validated observation guideline and a complementary interview and (5) the current stage applies a deductive thematic analysis, guided by the predefined subcategories, to identify tensions within and across categories. These tensions are conceptualized as contradictions that can reveal both barriers and opportunities for innovation. Expected outcomes include insights to guide the design of more inclusive and sustainable digital learning ecosystems.

ABSTRACT. The growing complexity of sustainability challenges requires educational approaches that integrate cognitive, emotional, and ethical dimensions. Higher education is increasingly called to prepare students not only to understand sustainability but also to act responsibly for collective well-being. Responding to this need, a pilot intervention was carried out within the 2024/2025 Design Thinking course at LUMSA University (Rome, Italy), involving 150 undergraduates. The program combined two tasks: an individual reflection on sustainability and the SDGs, and group projects where teams of 3–5 students co-designed practical solutions to global challenges. Findings show that students enriched their conceptual understanding of sustainability, prioritized social SDGs such as gender equality and quality education, and reported greater awareness of the consequences of everyday actions. Yet behavioral change remained limited, highlighting the persistent gap between awareness and action. The study points to the value of emotionally engaging, collaborative learning for fostering equitable, peaceful, and sustainable practices in higher education.

ABSTRACT. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires not only structural policies but also individual behavioral change. In this context, personal carbon footprint (CF) calculators have emerged as tools to raise awareness about the environmental impact of consumption. This study aimed to explore the relationship between Spanish university students’ CF and internal personal factors: environmental knowledge, concern, and motivations. A quantitative, exploratory design was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 111 students from four Spanish universities. Data were collected using a validated CF calculator that integrates self-reported consumption patterns with items assessing environmental knowledge,concern, and motivational worldview. Non-parametric statistical analyses were applied to examine differences in CF across these internal variables. Results revealed no statistically significant differences in CF based on students’ self-perceived environmental knowledge, level of concern, or environmental motivations. Participants who reported high concern or knowledge did not exhibit lower CF than those with intermediate levels. Similarly, students with anthropocentric, altruistic, or spiritual views of nature displayed comparable consumption patterns. The study concludes that none of the internal variables analyzed—knowledge, concern, or motivations—were sufficient to explain differences in carbon footprint among participants. These findings suggest that environmental awareness and values, while present, do not necessarily translate into sustainable behavior; it seems that consumer habits of these young people are mainly determined by being Gen Z. Although they are more knowledgeable and concerned about social and environmental issues than previous generations, their consumption patterns are not more environmentally-friendly. This exploratory study sheds light on who these young people are, how they behave, and how the education system should work with them.

ABSTRACT. The climate crisis poses a profound challenge, affecting individuals, communities, and ecosystems at every level. One of its psychological consequences, eco-anxiety, is becoming an increasingly significant concern. Pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) are framed as both personal and collective strategies to cope with this crisis. This study explores how emotional and cognitive bonds with significant life places and eco-anxiety contribute to the promotion of individual and collective PEB. A total of 431 Italian participants completed an online survey measuring individual PEB, willingness to engage in initiatives related to renewable energy, civic pro-environmental engagement, eco-anxiety, place identity and attachment. Using Structural Equation Modeling, a multiple sequential mediation analysis was run. Findings indicate that eco-anxiety may function as a catalyst or as a mitigating factor for PEB, depending on the identification with and attachment to meaningful life places. Renewable energy communities (REC) are discussed as possible collective actions to foster sustainable transition