Dialogue enhancement in classrooms: towards a relational approach for group working

Abstract

Theories that posit a relationship between dialogue and understanding are predominantly psychological, but are associated with diverse perspectives. Minimally, four types of theory comment on this relationship: socio-cognitive, socio-cultural, social psychological and developmental/relational. These theories provide pertinent insights into why dialogue may be related to understanding and why this relationship is rarely found in classrooms. Drawing upon studies made by the authors, this chapter shows that theory combined with an awareness of classroom realities can increase children’s within-class dialogue - impacting upon children’s understanding/attainment, participation and social inclusion.