Learning the lessons.

Recognizing that empirical research into classroom dialogue has been conducted for about 40 years, a review is reported of 225 studies published between 1972 and 2011. The studies were identified through systematic search of electronic databases and scrutiny of publication reference lists. They focus on classroom dialogue in primary and secondary classrooms, covering the full age range of compulsory schooling. The methods of data collection and analysis used in the studies are described and discussed, with changes and continuities over time highlighted. Study results are then summarized and integrated to present a succinct picture of what is currently known and where future research might profitably be directed. One key message is that much more is known about how classroom dialogue is organized than about whether certain modes of organization are more beneficial than others. Moreover, epistemological and methodological change may be required if the situation is to be remedied.

Classroom dialogue: a systematic review across four decades of research

This rigorous literature review, focused on pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries. It aimed to: 
- review existing evidence on the review topic to inform programme design and policy making undertaken by the DFID, other agencies and researchers 
- identify critical evidence gaps to guide the development of future research programmes

Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries. Education rigorous literature review.

Lesson Observation and Quality in Primary Education as Contextual Teaching and Learning Processes.

Pedagogical Renewal: Improving the Quality of Classroom Interaction in Nigerian Primary Schools

This paper addresses the role of classroom discourse in supporting children’s learning in Kenyan primary schools. The discourse strategies of 27 teachers teaching English, mathematics and science across the primary phase were intensively studied using discourse analysis and semi‐structured interviews. A survey questionnaire (n = 359) was also used to explore teacher perceptions of classroom discourse practices. The findings revealed the dominance of teacher‐led recitation in which rote and repetition dominated the classroom discourse with little attention being paid to securing pupil understanding. The wider implications of the findings for improving the quality of classroom discourse in Kenyan primary schools are considered together with the need for further research into how the wider social order is influencing discourse practices in Kenyan primary schools.

Caroline Pontefract

Papers

The discourse of classroom interaction in Kenyan primary schools