Project Information
| Name | DIALOGUE II |
| Project Funding | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) |
| Laufzeit | 4/2016 - 9/2019 |
| Project Leadership | |
| Employees | Dr. Martina Alles |
| Contact | dialogue@edu.tum.de |
What is the research topic?
International educational research points out that classroom discourse plays a key role in student learning. However, numerous studies also indicate that students often have only few opportunities to discuss their own approaches and ideas in classroom. The DIALOGUE II project examines how professional development programs focusing on productive classroom discourse can change this practice.
What is the specific issue in this project?
As part of the research project, interested teachers were able to participate in a long-term professional development program on productive classroom discourse. In small-group activities teaching methods (such as think-pair sharing) and interviewing strategies (such as question techniques) were introduced at the beginning of the program. Afterwards, the participants discussed ways how to implement these in their own lessons. In addition, several lessons of the participating teachers were video-taped by the researcher team. as part of the professional development program, selected video excerpts from the classroom videos served to illustrate and reflect on different classroom discourse practices: the participants identified productive elements of classroom discourse and discussed possible alternatives of action together with the facilitators.
What is the main goal of the project?
The aim of the project is to professionalize teacher’s classroom discourse practices supported by the tool video. Another aim is to improve classroom discourse through the use of concrete methods and discussion strategies. In addition, the research project investigates how changes in classroom discourse affect students' cognitive and motivational-affective characteristics.
To analyze the video-taped lessons a coding manual was developed that assesses the quality of classroom discourse on the following four quality dimensions:
- Structured and purposeful
- Activating and open
- Interactive and cumulative
- Supportive and scaffolding
On request, we will gladly provide this video coding manual: dialogue@edu.tum.de.