Student Talk and Knowledge Construction: Insights From a Longitudinal Study of Teachers

• In Event: The Role of Constructivism in Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper is based on a study of 20 elementary teachers, especially in their twelfth year of teaching (2015-2016). Most of the teachers considered oral participation by students in the classroom to be very or extremely important. They gave several reasons for this, including sharing of ideas, consolidation of knowledge, and increased mutual respect. They also described valuable strategies for facilitating student talk. However, the teachers did not seem sufficiently aware of how important such participation is for student knowledge construction; and they offered few strategies for ensuring that all students speak regularly before the whole class. These two areas seem important for increased attention by educational researchers and pre-service and in-service teacher educators.

Authors

• Clive M. Beck, OISE/University of Toronto

• Clare Kosnik, University of Toronto/OISE

• Elizabeth Rosales, University of Toronto - OISE

• Rosanne B. Brown, Peel District School Board

• Yiola Cleovoulou, University of Toronto

• Judy A. Caulfield, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/ University of Toronto

• Tiffany MacKay, Peel District School Board