What is dialogic teaching? Constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing a pedagogy of classroom talk

Abstract

Abstract Dialogic teaching is a pedagogical approach that capitalizes on the power of talk to further students' thinking, learning, and problem solving. The construct is often invoked when describing various pedagogies of classroom talk and is the focus of much research in the United Kingdom, the United States, Continental Europe, and elsewhere. Despite its appeal, or perhaps because of it, the idea of dialogic teaching has been variously interpreted to the point that its significance has become unclear. The purpose of this paper is to bring conceptual clarity to the construct. We outline how Robin Alexander (2004) used the term ‘dialogic teaching’ in his model of dialogic pedagogy, and describe other, related conceptions of dialogic pedagogy. We then describe how the term ‘dialogic teaching’ is used in contemporary scholarship. Finally, we address three major points of contention surrounding dialogic teaching: the issue of discourse form and function, the role of classroom culture, and whether dialogic teaching constitutes a general pedagogical approach or a specific discourse practice. Our overall intent is to examine similarities and differences among the various approaches to dialogic teaching and locate the concept within a network of related ideas on teaching and learning through, for, and as dialogue.