S-TEAM PROJECT: Dialogic InquiryUniversity of Leeds January 2010

Jaume Ametller and Phil Scott

School of Education

University of Leeds

Dialogic inquiry….involving authoritative interactions: where the focus is on the scientific point of view) and….

Involving dialogic interactions: where there is room for students and teacher to explore a range of ideas.

What is the need for training in relation to dialogic inquiry?

• …scientific concepts taught largely through an authoritative approach (‘just telling’)

• …authoritative approaches don’t allow students to engage in comparing and bringing together of ideas which leads to meaningful learning.

• … a growing body of evidence suggests that teaching approaches which include dialogic phases are more effective in supporting meaningful learning

• …S-TEAM provides the opportunity to develop state-of-the-art training materials to help teachers widen their pedagogical approaches to include dialogic inquiry.

Process: project way of working

• Phase 1: working with ‘core group’ of teachers to monitor and reflect upon existing practices and to explore key ideas of Dialogic Inquiry teaching approaches.

• Phase 2: design and production, with ‘core group’ teachers, of professional development materials and teaching sequences.

• Phase 3: implementation, evaluation and refinement of professional development training packages and teaching sequences.

Researchers Teachers: 8

Training Packages

Products:

Dialogicteachingmaterial

…example of teaching X fits into the package

…general principles inform design of how to teach X

- used with teachers in various contexts: university (ITT and INSET); school (departmental projects/ research); regional science education centre.

- sessions extending over Semester or more (one-off full-day courses, extended courses)

- content: introducing basic concepts of dialogic inquiry; video clips of classroom activity; tools for analyzing classroom talk; ways of enabling teachers to reflect on their current pedagogical practices

Training packages

One tool: for systematic analysis of teachingLesson 2 as taught

ApproachT AI AN DI DN

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Current as flow of charge

Recap of big circuit

Recap ofanalogy

Predictingandmeasuringcurrentactivity

conservationof current

Units of current

Conservationof current inthe bigcircuit

Focus is on target concepts

Focus is on management

Focus is on non-target knowledge or ideas

Teaching materials

• based in physical sciences and focusing on conceptual knowledge: electric circuits, forces…

• high school (11-18)• max 6/7 hours duration for

a full sequence• …but also including

discrete ‘dialogic activities’

An introduction to light and vision

A teaching challenge:

How to promote involvement and discussion in teaching about the reflection of light …using a dialogic inquiry approach…

Message on my forehead: what does it say?

Law of reflection of light: a dialogic approach…

Message on my back: what does it say?

Got…it!!

So…now draw a ray diagram to show how to see the message on your back…

Evaluation of training packages

Formative evaluation: Phase 2

• …fundamental part of the development of the training materials in Phase 2: this is an iterative process where the core teachers and researchers evaluate experiences and activities of Phase 2, with a view to using this formative evaluation as a basis for refining the emerging workshop materials.

• Tools: written questionnaire feedback from teachers; recorded plenary discussion…

Evaluation of training packages

 Summative evaluation: Phase 3• Focusing on the impact of training packages on teacher

practice• Range of training contexts: school, university, regional

centre• ….giving opportunity for different approaches to

evaluation: teacher self-reporting via questionnaire on pedagogical practices; peer review via systematic lesson observation.…..