Activity systems as cultural, cognitive and linguistic contexts for improving reading and writing practices in rural school

Abstract

This study aims to explore the nature of the cultural break between family and school environments in rural communities in order to provide empirical support to the assumption that rural children knowledge is a valid basis for school learning. For exploring this assumption it is necessary to attend to each community activity systems since activity mediates human development (Vygostky, 1988). It is worth noting that activity systems involve physical, biological and social principles that natural and social sciences have identified and described in other contexts (ETSA, 1996; Gasché, 2001). The present work studies the activity systems of a rural community situated in Cordoba, Argentina. Data were analyzed taking Engeström´s model and Gasché´s categories (ETSA, 2001). Results showed differences between home and school environments were restricted neither to differences in the dialectal uses of Spanish nor to the operative knowledge about subjects: differences were found in knowledge identity itself. When this basis is not considered at school, children aren't able to have an adequate access to decontextualized knowledge. So, the challenge is to understand the relevance of intercultural education, that is, to consider human experience diversity as a great opportunity to promote children development in every socio-cultural environment.