Understanding teachers’ collective work: Effects of the activity’s context on actors’ conceptions

Abstract

The study concerns the conceptions which underpin teachers’ collective work. The framework integrates contextual components of activity (i.e. situations and actors) and the professional space the actors take into account to regulate their collective work. The extent and organisation of this professional space feature the actors’ conceptions of collective work (CC). A total of 96 interviews with teachers were carried out. The contextual variables are the school sector (primary or secondary), socio-economic situation of school districts (deprived or ordinary), length of teaching experience, degree of involvement in regular meetings with colleagues. Results show that the teacher’s degree of involvement in collective activity has a positive effect on their conceptions of collective work independently of the situation or length of experience.