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- Vol 3 RE: Chapter 7, App A
- Vol 3 TE: App C
classroom talkinitiation-response-feedback patterndialogic interactionauthoritative discourseteacher questioningstudent reasoningsociocultural theoryextended discussionJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Mercer and Dawes trace research on teacher–student classroom talk from early observational studies in the 1970s to dialogic approaches developed by the 2010s. Early work documented the pervasive initiation–response–feedback pattern, in which teachers ask questions, students supply brief answers, and teachers evaluate them.
Key ideas
Later sociocultural research shifted attention from counting turns to examining how language mediates thinking, participation, and the joint construction of knowledge. The review distinguishes authoritative exchanges used to transmit or check information from more dialogic interactions that invite students to explain, reason, challenge ideas, and build on others' contributions. It argues that teacher questions and follow-up moves matter because they shape whose thinking becomes visible and whether discussion advances understanding. Research has influenced professional development, policy, and classroom programs, although dialogic principles are not always implemented consistently.
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The authors conclude that productive talk requires explicit educational purposes, teacher skill, supportive norms, and opportunities for extended student reasoning rather than simply increasing the amount students speak.
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Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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