Academically Productive Talk: Similarities and Differences Among Experts Across Content Areas

• In Event: Seeing Language in the Math Classroom: Attending to Student Talk, Questions, Argumentation, and Reasoning

Abstract

Both the research knowledge base and 21st century education standards support a major shift in instructional practice—one that requires students to engage in explaining their thinking and making and defending arguments. Despite its demonstrated contribution to learning, talk-based pedagogy remains rare in today’s classrooms. To further understand academically productive talk (APT), a team of APT researchers scored 27 videos of classroom talk across content areas and grade levels. Their quantitative scores and qualitative justifications were then analyzed to explore similarities in components of APT they identify as important. A subset of four videos was further analyzed for differences among raters’ scores, resulting in potential scoring patterns related to expertise in a given content area.

Authors

• Shireen Al-Adeimi, Michigan State University

• Catherine E. Snow, Harvard University

• Suzanne Donovan, SERP Institute

• P. Karen Murphy, The Pennsylvania State University

• Jonathan F. Osborne, Stanford University

• Abby Reisman, University of Pennsylvania

• Leslie Duhaylongsod, Salem State University