Facilitating Productive Student Dialogue in Mathematics Classrooms

• In Event: Learning From and With Peers

Abstract

This study investigated the nature of student dialogue in collaborative group work in mathematics classrooms, the forms of dialogue that are most productive for group problem-solving success and student learning, and teacher practices that are effective for promoting productive student dialogue. Close analyses of group dialogues showed the importance of students engaging with each other’s ideas, the importance of students providing detailed, accurate, and complete explanations of problem-solving strategies, and the variety of teacher practices that were effective at promoting student explaining. These results have implications for practice in showing the details of productive student dialogue, and for researchers in showing the importance of examining the details of what students and teachers say during collaborative group dialogues.

Authors

• Noreen M. Webb, University of California - Los Angeles

• Marsha M. Ing, University of California - Riverside

• Megan L. Franke, University of California - Los Angeles

• Angela Chan Turrou, University of California - Los Angeles

• Nami Shin, UCLA