Teacher's Developmental Stages of Exploring Thinking Tools in a Blended Learning Environment

The purpose of this study is to examine Chinese, primary school teachers’ developmental stages in blended learning environments when exploring the use of thinking tools (TTs) for improving students’ thinking skills. This study analyzed data using the Trajectory Equifinality Modeling (TEM). TEM is a new qualitative methodology of Cultural Psychology that explores the trajectory of multiple decision-making actions based on time and interaction between social direction and social guidance. TEM clarified that Chinese primary teachers went through the followings five stages: Stage 1: application of TTs, Stage 2: trials of improving students’ reasoning, Stage 3: reflection of the usage of TTs in one year, Stage 4: “Aha” experiences of matching TTs with specific thinking skills (reasoning) and Stage 5: shifting the focus from TTs to reasoning. In Stages 1, 2, 3, and 5, online support was the major turning point and sustaining Lesson Study was the social guidance that promoted teacher inquiry. In Stage 4, face-to-face training triggered the “Aha” experience and multiple viewpoints from the teachers who had experienced using TTs in the training workshop and provided social guidance. Furthermore, attention needed to be paid to how the relocation of the principal and the director of the research group in the school affected teacher’s decision-making.