Fostering and scaffolding student engagement in productive classroom discourse: Teachers' practice changes and reflections in light of teacher professional development

Abstract

Abstract The present study investigated the extent to which two teacher professional development (TPD) programmes on classroom discourse, which differed systematically in their options for professional learning, would support teachers in changing their teaching routines regarding the levels of 1) teacher questions , 2) student answers and 3) teacher feedback . An initial comparison revealed that the video-based programme Dialogic Video Cycle (DVC) supported teachers in making significant changes regarding the level of feedback. Concerning the levels of teacher questions and student answers, no significant changes could be found between the first programme and the second programme: the Advanced Traditional Programme. To further understand the DVC's role as a professional teacher learning opportunity and to acknowledge classrooms as individual contexts for the implementation of new knowledge, the individual practice changes of DVC participants were analysed. The results showed a rather heterogeneous picture at the level of teachers' questions, which supports the heterogeneous changes in students' answers. Individual changes in teachers' level of feedback were more homogeneous. The results are backed by excerpts of the qualitative discussions from the DVC workshops and teacher reflections. These data illustrate the role of video as a cultural tool for mediating the interactions between classroom and workshop contexts.