Educational Ideals and Classroom Realities: Developing Teachers' Concepts of Dialogic Pedagogy in Real-World Contexts

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Instructional Landscapes: Insights Into Decision Making for Effective Teaching (Table 37)

Abstract

Professional learning processes aim to change teachers' pedagogical concepts, yet this process is obscure and understudied. Building on a conceptual change perspective, this study explores teachers’ concepts of dialogic pedagogy that emerged during professional development. The year-long process included 17 teachers, coaches, and researchers codesigning dialogic language arts lessons. Thematic analysis was used to map teachers' concepts and to investigate forces shaping them. Findings demonstrate how teachers' concepts are embedded within classroom affordances and constraints and influenced by broader educational contexts. Implications for teachers’ conceptual change include emphasizing pedagogical tensions, advancing practice-oriented designs, and adapting academic concepts to classroom contexts.

Author

• Matan Barak, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev