Learning through talk: support for classroom conversations

Teaching in any setting, is the act of using method X to enable students to learn Y.

Robin Alexander, Professor of Education

Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero. 

Discussion is the food of chiefs.

Classroom conversations are powerful ways to learn. They allow the examination and debate of ideas, raising of questions and creation of knowledge. Ma te whakautu ka mōhio (with discussion comes knowledge). However, facilitating engaging and ongoing classroom talk is not easy. Having strategies in place to support students to discuss ideas is important, especially when considering the often-emotive conversations that can occur when teaching and learning history.

Emotions in history: 'difficult histories' – Te Akomanga | NZHistory

A Dialogic Teaching Companion (2020), by Robin Alexander, is a book that includes helpful suggestions for teachers. Alexander is a Professor of Education (University of Warwick) who is interested in how best to generate and sustain classroom ‘talk’.  It is a long and academic text, and I have adapted two aspects of his ‘dialogic teaching framework’ – Tikanga and Questioning – for use as prompts for sustaining and extending conversations. 

Tikanga

Effective classroom talk requires a shared understanding of how to manage talk. Ground rules, expectations – tikanga. Tikanga can be co-constructed with students and modelled by the teacher. It helps to make it explicit, written down and visible, so you can refer to it: ‘we whakamana others … we listen generously … we respect others’ ideas … we don’t interrupt … we give others the time to think’. Tikanga should make everyone feel safe and empowered. Establishing tikanga gives dialogue the chance to flourish.

Questioning

Questions are an essential part of any learning context. There are two main kinds of questions:

• Closed/test questions: allow for one answer and can assess recall (What year was the Chinese poll tax first introduced in Aotearoa?)
• Open/authentic questions: allow for various answers, including unanticipated responses (Why was the Chinese poll tax introduced?)

Sometimes I find myself asking students questions intended to an answer already in my head. I remind myself to try and avoid these kinds of questions.

Image

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Questions to start, sustain, and expand conversation resource (accessible version). 

Questions to start, sustain, and expand conversation 

 Invite: questions to get started

• Invite recall/review: ‘What did we learn about yesterday?’ ‘What was your highlight from yesterday?’ Get students to write on the board something they remember about the previous lesson(s), including questions they might have.
   
• Invite facts or information: What? Who? When? Where? How?
   
• Invite reasons: Why?
   
• Invite observation or opinion: ‘What do you think about X?’ 
   
• Invite reflection or speculation: ‘What would happen if …?’ ‘Why do you think that Y …?’
   
• Invite affective or empathetic responses: ‘How do you feel about X …?’ ‘How would you feel if …?’ ‘How do you think Y felt about …?’ Use the Wheel of emotions resource to support students to identify emotions when exploring perspectives and values.
  
  Wheel of emotions – Te Akomanga | NZHistory (PDF, 178KB) 

Probe: questions that investigate responses

• Say more: 'Can you say more about that?' 'What do you mean by that?' 'Can you give an example?'
   
• Question the thinking behind a response: ‘What makes you say that?’ ‘How so?’ ‘How do you/we know that?’ ‘Will you explain that?’ ‘Any other suggestions?’
   
• Clarify thinking: ‘Do you mean …?’ ‘Can you put it another way?’ ‘So, are you saying …?’
   
• Evaluation: ‘What do you think about X …?’ ‘Is Y, right?’ ‘Do you agree? Why?’

Expand: questions that build on responses

• Expand the initial exchange: ‘Can you give me another example?’ ‘Is there another explanation?’ ‘Tell me more about that.’ ‘Who can add onto or expand on the idea?’
   
• Sustain or develop a line of thinking: ‘How do you think …?’ ‘But what if …?’ ‘Who agrees with X on this?’ ‘What happened/might happen next?’
   
• Ask for evidence or reasoning: ‘What makes you say that?’ ‘What evidence do you have?’ ‘Is there anything in the text that made you think that?’ 
   
• Challenge or seek counter-examples: ‘Does it always work that way?’ ‘How does that idea fit with B’s example?’
   
• Rephrase or repeat: ‘Who can repeat what A just said, or put it into their own words?’ ‘What did A say?’
   
• Agree/disagree, and explain why: ‘Do you agree/disagree? (Why?)’ ‘Are you saying the same thing as C or something different?’ ‘How is it different?’ ‘What do people think about what B said?’ ‘Does anyone want to respond to that idea?’
   
• Explain what someone else means: ‘Who can explain what F means when they say that?’ ‘Why do you think they said that?’

Summary

The four ways to extend conversations are:

• Say more
• Ask for evidence of reasoning
• Challenge or seek counter-examples
• Agree/disagree and explain why.

It is hard to beat a great conversation. As kaiako, it is also one of the simplest, quickest, and most effective means of formative assessment we have. Asking good questions will help you determine what students know and how well they know it. But remember that not all students are strong verbally. 

Give students time to think – ‘wait time’ and ‘think-pair-share’ strategies are important. 

Picture the student(s) in your classes who struggle (to speak and/or listen) and keep them in mind when you devise strategies to support students to talk. 

There are numerous strategies for getting discussions going. Here are seven examples.

Discussion strategies

Student-led colour-coded discussion technique

Students use coloured paper to indicate how they want to participate. 

• Red: I am processing and/or taking notes right now. Do not call on me.
• Green: I am ready to jump into the conversation. Please call on me.
• Yellow: I would like to take this conversation in a new direction. Call on me to shake up a repetitive or ‘dead’ discussion.

Six thinking hats

Also utilising colour, this technique supports brainstorming, critical thinking, and problem-solving ideation. 

DeBono: Thinking Hats – Inspiring Inquiry

Hot seating

A more dramatic approach, with students invited to assume the character of a person/group they have studied. You can create a panel-like discussion, during which the class ask questions of those in character. 

Concentric circles

Students form two concentric circles. One circle rotates and the other does not. Set a time limit and instruct students to rotate to their left or right to find their next discussion buddy.

Values continuum

This is a great activity to explore students’ opinions and ideas on things like historical events and current issues. 

In response to a statement such as ‘X was the most significant cause of the Dawn Raids’, students place themselves on a continuum between ‘strongly agree’ and ‘strongly disagree’, in the position that best reflects their perspective. 

Ask students to explain their position. Use strategies from Expand: questions that build on responses.

Students can change their position in response to what other people share.

Cult of pedagogy 

This blog site has more suggestions. Here is one about what to do when you ask a question, and no one responds.

When You Get Nothing But Crickets – Cult of Pedagogy

Focus questions

See here for ideas around writing senior history focus questions.

Communicating information: writing focus questions – Te Akomanga | NZHistory