Examining Discourse: Analyzing the Form and Function of Teachers’ Talk Moves in Elementary Discussions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 8:00 a.m. Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Knowledge Through Dialogue: Languaging and Reflection in Educational Practice (Table 3)

Abstract

Dialogic teaching supports a multitude of literacy skills and is essential for students’ critical engagement. In this study, we focus on ten lessons taught by third- and fourth-grade teachers at a culturally diverse K-5 Midwestern charter school and explore how each teacher engaged students in text-based discussions in math, science, and social studies. Using a validated and reliable tool that captures the range of dialogicity, we analyze each teacher’s range of dialogic talk, and discuss how these talk moves supported or hindered students’ dialogic engagement. We found that while both teachers used open-ended, contestable questions as the focus of the discussions, they diverged in their facilitation of dialogic talk that supports students’ learning and thinking.

Authors

• Shireen Al-Adeimi, Michigan State University

• Jennie Baumann, Auburn University