The problem 
     •  Teaching and learning in schools ⇒ divided into two segr
        egated structures
                 ↓
     •  Two discrete and compartmentalized activity systems (E
        ngeström, 2008) 
     •  Teachers’ activity of step-by-step transmission-centered 
        teaching of predefined, fixed knowledge and skills 
     •  Students’ activity of enduring “a series of more or less d
        isconnected though systematically repeated learning ac
        tions” such as daily assignments (Engeström, 1987, p. 1
        04)
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     • The transfer of agency from teacher 
       to student ⇒ minimal in discrete tea
       ching (Elmore, 2005)
     • Learning actions around well-define
       d tasks situates “knowledge with th
       e teacher and the obligation to lear
       n with the student—knowledge is tr
       ansferred, agency over learning is n
       ot” (p. 282).
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        Purpose of the presentation
     • To move beyond this narrow idea of 
        schooling and create learning activit
        ies that foster greater agency amon
        g students
     • To determine whether an education
        al innovation helps children become 
        agents of learning activity
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                     “Inquiry” 
        at the UCLA Lab School
                             • Examine art-integrated science an
                                d social studies learning activities 
                                called inquiry at the University of 
                                California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Lab 
                                School
                             • Inquiry encourages students to ac
                                cept responsibility for their learnin
                                g (i.e. learner’s sense of agency; O
                                lson, 2011; cf. Lipponen & Kumpul
                                ainen, 2011).
                                                                          5
      Cultural-historical activity theory
     • A conceptual framework that views the object-oriented collective 
       activity system as the basic unit of analysis of human practices a
       nd development (Engeström, 1987, 2008; Leont’ev, 1978; Sanni
       no, Daniels, & Gutiérrez, 2009; Sannino & Ellis, 2013) 
     • Ideas and tools for transforming activity and expanding the agen
       cy of participants (Yamazumi, 2009) 
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