De cultuurhistorische onderwijspedagogiek als narratief: een reflectie op 50 jaar theorie-gestuurde praktijkvernieuwing in het onderwijs

In this article, we reflect on the contribution of cultural historical theory for the innovation and improvement of educational practice in the Netherlands. As a first step, we will show how different narratives about good education are constructed and passed on in educational discourse. Next, we will discuss the characteristics of a cultural historical narrative about good education. To illustrate this narrative, we will present one particular story that has been developed over the past decades: Developmental Education. Developmental Education is a specific approach to education that is based on and rooted in cultural historical theory. A special feature of this narrative is the close and inseparable relation between theory and practice. We will show how this vision on the theory-practice relation leads to a specific interpretation of teachers’ professional development. Using two examples, we will illustrate how teachers, teacher trainers, educational developers, and researchers within the Developmental Education community collaboratively innovate and improve educational practice in a theory-driven manner.