The Shift to More Dialogic Discourse in a Classroom Transitioning to Student-Centered Science Inquiry

• In Event: 34.096 - MTCC Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 34.096-2 - Creative Multidisciplinary Instruction

Abstract

Classroom discourse continues to be teacher dominated even though researchers and reform documents have recommended changes toward increased levels of student participation. Efforts to change discourse are paralleled in science education by efforts to make science inquiry activities more student-centred. This study investigates discourse forms and how they changed in a classroom where teacher and students were scaffolded in transitioning to student-centred science inquiry. Video-recordings were collected at intervals over one year. A shift from teacher-authoritative forms to a more interactive, dialogic form was found. This study implies that scaffolded student-centred science inquiry could be a valuable context for supporting teachers in the shift away from teacher-centred modes of discourse toward modes with high rates of student talk.

Author

• Carol Ann, Butler Rees, Thompson Rivers University