The Theory of Practice Architectures Researching Practices

This book provides an overview of the Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA), and the associated Theory of Ecology of Practices, in a manner accessible for a broader audience. The authors are part of the authorial team that developed the Theory of Practice Architectures from a strong empirical base, with its initial publication in 'Changing Practices, Changing Education' (Kemmis et al., Springer, 2014). This book follows on from that publication with a singluar focus on the Theory of Practice Architectures, and shows how it can be used as a theoretical framework for a range of empirical research projects. It first outlines and describes both the Theory of Practice Architectures and the Theory of Ecology of Practices, illustrating them with a range of relevant practical examples. Then, it focuses explicitly on designing and undertaking empirical research, analyzing data and reporting findings using the Theory of Practice Architectures. In this way, this book shows specifically and overtly explicate ways that research can be designed, and how data can be collected and analyzed, drawing on the Theory of Practice Architectures as a foundational framework. It also showcases a range of specific examples to allow readers to see the ideas as they have been employed in practice.

Understanding Practices: The theory of practice architectures.- Connecting Practices: The ecological relationship between practices.- Situating Practices: A site-ontological perspective to study design.- Studying Practices: Interpreting and analysing data.- Reporting Practices.

Peter Grootenboer is Professor in Education at Griffith University, Australia, and also an Adjunct Professor at the Universitas Negeri Malang. He researches mathematics education and educational leading using practice theory and action research.