Developing knowledge through intervention: meaning and definition of 'quality' in research into change

This contribution takes as its starting point the principle, drawn from cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT) that, since social activity is mediated by tools, we gain fine‐grained understanding of its processes by intervening in them. Knowledge of sociocultural practices is generated by engaging actively in those practices and co‐constructing meanings with participants. The attempt to disengage from, in order to establish ‘objectivity’ about, social activity and social change—of which learning is a prime example—is highly problematic for educational researchers, and this contribution argues that, when the focus of the research is the process of social change, adopting such a ‘disembodied’ approach would undermine the trustworthiness of the knowledge created. The authors illustrate and elaborate this theoretical position in their discussion of the activities involved in the Pedagogies with E‐Learning Resources (PELRS) research and development project. The first phase of this project was carried out i...