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Algebra 1

Classroom Discussion

Algebra 1Classroom Discussion

Classroom Discussion

Classroom Discussion

Meaningful learning that can transfer to new contexts is more likely to occur in classrooms with rich classroom discourse. Classroom discussion is a form of generative learning. It is facilitated by teachers who give thoughtful cues and purposeful questions to get conversations flowing and keep them on track.

Rich classroom discourse is characterized by a handful of features(Hattie, Fisher, & Frey, 2017):

  1. Students making connections to prior knowledge
  2. Framing mistakes as valuable learning opportunities
  3. Comparing and contrasting different approaches
  4. Productive failure/ productive struggle and perseverance through difficulties, with a focus on “sensemaking”
  5. Students using a variety of representations to build understanding and justify their thinking, accompanied by the messaging that there is no one right way to get there

How to Promote Effective Classroom Discussion

There are a number of strategies a teacher can use to encourage fruitful discussion opportunities (Hattie, Fisher, & Frey, 2017). These include:

  • Posing purposeful questions that check, build, and deepen student understanding
  • Funneling questions that guide students down the teacher’s path to the answer
  • Focusing questions that allow students to do the cognitive work to push their understanding forward
  • Prompts for students to use what they already know
  • Cues or overt attempts to draw attention to information the student needs to more forward

The goal is for the student to be doing the bulk of the cognitive work to build and extend their understanding, with the teacher acting as a scaffold to keep them on track and push them into their “Zone of Proximal Development.”

A well-facilitated classroom discussion can take patience and skill, but pays dividends in terms of student understanding and self-efficacy.

References

Hattie, J. Fisher, D. Frey, N. (2017). Visible learning for mathematics, grades K-12: What works best to optimize student learning. Corwin Mathematics.

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