Dialogic Teaching

Context

Dialogic Teaching is a pedagogical approach to enhance student engagement and academic achievement by elevating the quality of classroom discussions. Teachers undergo training in methodologies that encourage students to engage in reasoning, discussion, argumentation, and explanation rather than offering simple responses. This approach fosters higher-order thinking skills and improves students' ability to express themselves effectively across various subjects.

Solution

Through Dialogic Teaching, educators receive training supported by video reviews, printed materials, and in-school mentoring. These resources enhance teachers' practices in English, mathematics, and science classes, focusing on promoting meaningful classroom discourse.

Impact

Preliminary trials of Dialogic Teaching in the UK have indicated its potential to transform teaching practices. At the same time, evidence suggests that fostering cognitively stimulating classroom discussions can lead to academic gains in language, mathematics, and science. However, this trial marks the first comprehensive examination of this approach. The trial revealed consistently positive outcomes across Year 5 students in English, science, and mathematics, equivalent to approximately two months of additional progress. These effects were observed regardless of students' eligibility for free school meals, suggesting the approach's potential to address achievement gaps. Moreover, the uniformity of results across subjects and the absence of subject-specific content in the training materials imply that Dialogic Teaching may enhance students' overall cognitive skills rather than merely boosting subject-specific knowledge.

While the trial's findings are promising, it's notable that many teachers expressed a need for more than two terms to fully integrate the approach into their classrooms, indicating that sustained implementation may yield greater benefits over an extended period. Additionally, an addendum to the report published in April 2019 did not show an impact on KS2 results, potentially due to incomplete implementation in Year 6 preceding the KS2 testing. Despite this, the trial underscores the potential of Dialogic Teaching to enhance student learning outcomes across various subjects, prompting further exploration of its scalability and long-term impact. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is considering options to evaluate the approach on a larger scale, which could offer valuable insights for a broader implementation in schools.