Dialogic talk in the post-observation feedback conference

Fiona Copland, Aston University, UK Steve Mann, University of Warwick, UK

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A quick task…..

On the pieces of paper, describe (briefly and in two minutes!): a. The purpose of the post-observation feedback conference

The ‘Reflection’ Conundrum

Belief 1 : Teachers need to reflect on teaching to improve practice ( Waite, 1995) Belief 2 : Novice teachers need to develop this skill (Brandt, 2008; Farr, 2004)

But….

Problem 1 : Novice teachers may not know how to reflect or what they should reflect on (Korthagen 2004; Copland, 2010) Problem 2 : Reflection might not always be in the best interest of novice teachers (Akbari 2007) Problem 3 : The feedback conference is time-pressured; conglomorate of ‘assessment’ and ‘development’ talk (how to teach better).

Dialogic teaching?

Can dialogic approaches help to resolve the conundrum, through modelling reflective processes, at the same time as developing novice teachers’ skills?

What is dialogic teaching?

Based on Vygotskian views of mediated learning ( Maybin, 2003) Teachers engage students in talk that is collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful (Alexander, 2005) Rather than only asking display questions, teachers also ask ‘authentic’ questions to which there are no ‘right’ answers (Nystrand, 1997:7). Just as important as asking genuine questions is the teacher’s response to students’ answers (Kachur and Prendergast, 1997). Challenges students to ‘think, interpret and generate new understandings’ (Nystrand, 1997:7) through developing: Three skills - comprehend, anaylse, evaluate (Skidmore, 2000).

Text A:

Teacher: Fiona: Teacher: Fiona: Teacher: What noise Fiona? What noise?

The noise the dog was making.

The noise the dog was making. Which noise was the fox making? A dog (.) noise.

(Fiona laughs)

He was barking.

(Skidmore, 2000)

Text B:

Teacher: Ian: Teacher: Ian: Suma: Ian

(Skidmore 2000)

Okay we have other characters. Who should we discuss next?

Erm (.) the woodcutter.

Where does he come on the scale?

Near the end.

Because when she was wandering around in the forest and he met her and the he told here that he’s going to show her grandmother how to behave (.) and he had an axe and (.) the the (.) he took the skin off the wolf and he killed grandma.

No they didn’t know there was bears in the forest and erm there they thought she would just get lost in the woods.

What is reflection?

On your piece of paper, can you write down a brief definition of ‘reflection’?

What is reflection in teacher education?

A central tenet of reflection is the ability to review an action systematically and to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the action in order to improve practice. (Copland and Mann, in press)

How does dialogic talk promote reflection?

Through engaging novice teachers in talk that is: ‘collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful’ (Alexander, 2005). Through challenging novice teachers to ‘think, interpret and generate new understandings’ (Nystrand, 1997:7).

By developing novice teachers’ ability to comprehend, analyse and evaluate (Skidmore, 2000).

And, in the group feedback context, through allowing an even distribution of turns between speakers, and providing an environment in which novice teachers can self-select and contribute.

Setting, participants, data

Setting

College of Adult Education. Two CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) programmes. Feedback in groups of 3-4 trainees, 1 trainer.

Participants:

9 trainees and 4 trainers.

Data:

Fieldnotes, classroom recordings of feedback conferences.

Interviews with trainers and trainees.

Extract 1

1. Lauren: 2.

3.

4. Josie: 5. Lauren: 6.

7. Josie 8. Lauren: Think about when you read a language you’ve learnt French or for us it would be French I don’t know what it would be for you Yeah I did some French

((laughs))

French

((laughs))

okay so can you you can remember the sort of rather stilted way that we read French and we [ yeah don’t know when when the sentence ends or begins [ 9. Josie: yeah 10. Lauren: and we don’t get any of that expression at all so as a 11.

12.

mechanism for practicing the sentence stress that you wanted to to get across today

((slowing down))

not very 13.

useful

Extract 2

1. Eileen 2. Hannah: 3.

4.

5. Eileen: 6. Hannah : 7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13. Eileen: 14.

Okay and something that you weren’t so happy with Um I wasn’t happy because I didn’t give them a chance enough of a chance to practise making sentences using those verb patterns How clear were they did you think about that last activity? I think um it there was a little bit of confusion possibly um for the last activity um but as I was explaining it in groups they seemed to understand what to do. I think there was a bit of problem they weren’t really listening at the beginning and then I just felt a bit nervous. I thought oh they’re not really listening to me, okay let’s sort of go in groups and then try and explain it that way Right cos () how did you think you’d given your instructions were clear to start with

Extract 2 contd.

Hannah: Hannah: Um no I don’t think they were, they could have been clearer. I was just a bit worried about time and I was like oh time’s running out what shall I do um () so that’s possibly why

((laughs))

Eileen: Frank: I was just going to say that sort of the Frank: What you feel [ distinction between the two last activities wasn’t really very clear at all. One sort of ran in to the other one and they didn’t really kind of know what was going on and = [ Hannah: mm mm = things until you started going round sort of explaining= [ yeah Frank: =and things like that [ Hannah: yeap

Extract 3

Eileen: Eileen: How much do you think I mean one of the things about practising um lang if you have a language focus I mean one of the main things is you want the= Hannah: mm = students to kind of be able to remember it don’t you when they go away = [ [ Hannah: Eileen: mm yes =imagine these are verbs in a foreign language and you made the sentence she pretended she to be French he attempted to break the record. When you go out of the room how long would you remember those phrases do you think (.) would they would they really stick in your mind do you think Hannah: Mmm no [

Extract 3 contd.

Steve: Annabelle: no not as much as personal ones I wouldn’t [ maybe the end Annabelle: Hannah: yeah Annabelle: I was going to say the only one um that they sort of they seemed to relate to on this table they were like what’s his name Justin the Chinese guy he he got= [ = and pretended to be French and he was like saying oh like oh I then somebody else had put another verb in instead and he was saying oh it’s like I pretend to be Japanese or I he was like using all these [ [ Hannah: Hannah: Eileen: Hannah:

((ha hee hh ha))

[ yeah so I could put it into context I guess and use= right okay =some examples that were relevant to them

Some thoughts…

Monologic talk (‘transmission’): Clear pedagogic advice Quick Trainees know what they have to do.

Dialogic talk: Takes time Requires patience Requires skill May not be appreciated by trainees.

Interview confessions

FC: Josie: Calista: FC: Calista: OK. What sorts of feedback have you found the most helpful and the least helpful? Mmm For me things which are activities which are designed to draw people out actually I personally find a bit tedious and time wasting and I () I I would rather have somebody particularly the assessor say ‘this is what I felt about it.’ Mm Bish bash bosh.

In conclusion

Dialogic approaches:

can help trainees to develop reflective skills give permission for the trainers to work with the trainees on developing reflection take time and skill may not be recognised as valuable by trainees.

Many trainers are already doing ‘dialogic work’ but may benefit:

from critiquing their own ‘dialogism’ by asking ‘what else could I have done?’ From looking at the balance in their feedback between dialogicism and monologicism Being explicit with trainees about dialogic talk in terms of its value and purpose.

Thank you – any questions??

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System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics

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ELT Journal

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