School Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Pedagogical and Collaborative Change: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Study

This study examines how large-scale school infrastructure reforms shape teaching practice, using Australia’s Building the Education Revolution (BER) initiative as a case example. Guided by Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the research explores how redesigned learning environments act as mediating tools that influence pedagogy, collaboration, and teacher wellbeing. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining survey data from 34 teachers with focus group interviews involving 13 participants in a redeveloped Victorian Primary School, Australia. Quantitative results showed that 70.5% of teachers reported changes in their teaching practices directly linked to the new infrastructure, with 100% affirming that they had enhanced collaboration opportunities. Qualitative findings revealed that features such as breakout rooms, shared learning zones, and transparent sightlines enabled differentiated instruction, co-teaching, and improved supervision, while also fostering professional pride and collegial support. Contradictions emerged around automated lighting systems, limited display space, and partial teacher consultation during the design process. CHAT analysis demonstrated how physical spaces interact with rules, community, and division of labour within the school activity system, producing both enabling conditions and systemic tensions. The study underscores the need for infrastructure planning to be pedagogically informed, inclusive of teacher voice, and designed to support adaptive, collaborative, and inclusive teaching practices.