Volume 16, No 2, 2019
Vygotsky’s Activity Theory and Health Scholars’ Web-based Information Practice
Ali Azimi, Davoud Haseli and Leila Abdollahi
Abstract
Vygotsky’s Action Theory clarifies that humans’ behaviors are mostly derived by socio-cultural backgrounds. It heavily relies on the fact that information interaction can be affected by afterbirth habits and historical knowledge. Health scholars' web-based information practice is hugely important since they learn while they teach and information practice is a such interaction. Drawing on viewpoint of Vygotsky’s Action theory we studied health scholars’ information practice and investigated the related factors using a qualitative grounded-based theory approach. On a voluntary basis 23 faculty members from School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran were selected and on two stages were asked about their information practice experiences during December 2015 to March 2016 and November to December 2017. Interviews were placed at their university offices, then transcribed, coded and carefully analyzed. We derived 3 themes of cultural, economic and socio-political factors for all barriers the faculties had during their information practice. Since students directly, and the society at large collectively bear the brunt of the barriers, a suitable and effective modification of the current status is recommended. It looks as if the governing system contribute to help improving information practice of played-out scholars, we will have the cultural, economic, and socio-political development on an accelerating rate.
Pages: 97-107
Keywords: Information Practice; Health Scholar; Vygotsky’s Activity Theory; Iran University of Medical Sciences