Productive academic talk during inquiry-based science

Abstract

This study reports on the types of academic talk that contribute to enhanced explanatory responses, reasoning, problem-solving and learning. The study involved 10 groups of 3–4 students who were provided with one of three linguistic tools (i.e. Cognitive Questioning, Philosophy for Children and Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR)) to scaffold the questioning process and promote discussion during small group work. Groups were videotaped as they worked on inquiry-based science activities and the videotapes were fully transcribed to identify those helping discourses that contribute to productive talk and learning. In addition, three vignettes of students' discussions are also presented in order to illuminate the different types of productive talk that the students demonstrated in their groups. In the first vignette, the students predominately engaged in analogizing as a tool for constructing meaning. In the second, productive talk involved mainly asking questions and providing elaborations and statements while the third is characterized by questions, reasons, rebuttals and statements where students essentially demonstrate the full complement of discourses characteristic of productive academic talk. The study provides insights into how students appropriate various stratagems for talking and thinking together while simultaneously communicating their shared intentionality and motivation to complete the task.