The Relationship Between Student Inquiry and Dialogic Questioning: What Role Does Subject Culture Play?

• In Event: The Dreams, Possibilities, and Necessity of Student Classroom Talk Within Public Education

Abstract

Encouraging student questioning is a key strategy in promoting interactive pedagogy and making learning processes explicit for all students (Hattie, 2008), including in low income countries (see review of almost 500 studies by Westbrook et al, 2013). A growing emphasis on dialogic approaches based on open discussions and encouraging student inquiry, questioning and extended contributions (Nystrand et al., 1997; Resnick, Asterhan & Clarke, 2015) has provided new opportunities for student participation, self-regulation and visible learning. Research indicates that the structure and type of classroom activity impact on the dialogue that takes place (Rojas-Drummond et al., 2010; Snell & Lefstein, 2011). Additionally, there is some evidence to suggest that lesson subject serves to shape the nature of classroom dialogue. The work of Nassaji and Wells (2000) identified some differences in teacher invitations and follow-ups between arts and science subjects, in addition to differences in the range of activities between disciplines. The key aims in the work reported were thus to examine the impact of student participation in inquiry activity on the frequency and nature of dialogic questioning and to relate these to subject cultures.
Data derive from an ESRC-funded project involving around 2000 students aged 10-11 in 72 classrooms in state-funded schools across England, including some in highly deprived areas. 144 video-recorded lessons of English, mathematics and science were systematically coded turn-by-turn for academically productive teacher-student dialogue. For this coding, an adapted and reliable version of the theory-informed Scheme for Educational Dialogue Analysis (Author-on-Paper1, 2016) was used. The coding aimed to identify student invitations for elaboration and reasoning across a range of classroom contexts. In addition to the coding, lessons were rated for the extent to which teachers involved students in forming lesson objectives, reflecting on learning, negotiating talk rules and provided opportunities for students to express ideas in whole-class discussions.
To explore the impact of subject culture, the frequency, function and variability of dialogic invitations are compared between the three subject disciplines. In order to examine the forms of lesson activity that encourage student questioning, activity type was coded using four dimensions: 1) Participant Structure (whole-class, group, dyad and individual + teacher); 2) Degree of Activity Structure; 3) Activity Format (e.g. direct instruction, interaction, shared writing, presenting, practical, reciting/reading etc.; 4) Activity Function (e.g. organizing/planning, reporting/recapping, generating/ constructing, reviewing/evaluating, investigation/inquiry & skills practice). As investigation/inquiry activities were expected to be the most productive in terms of student questioning (i.e. they are student-centered and involve guided knowledge seeking through questioning), we further examined: a) relative proportions of investigation/inquiry episodes in English, mathematics and science lessons; and b) the link between these activities and frequency/type of students’ dialogic invitations.
The findings from this large-scale, mixed methods study offer a significant contribution to our understanding of the relationships between forms of student engagement in investigation/inquiry activity and questioning that support learning of curriculum content through educational dialogue. Uniquely, we identify the role of subject culture here. There are clear implications for teacher professional development which will be highlighted.

Authors

• Sara Hennessy, University of Cambridge

• Annabel Amodia-Bidakowska

• Christine Howe, University of Cambridge

• Neil McKay Mercer, University of Cambridge

• Paul T. Warwick, University of Cambridge

• Maria Vrikki, University of Cambridge

• Lisa Wheatley, University of Cambridge