What Is a Deeper Discussion?
WhatisaDeeperDiscussion?Whatdowemeanwhenwesay“discussion”insocialstudies?Wedefinediscussionsinsocialstudiesas“activitiesinwhichtheteacherandallthestudentsnegotiatehistoricalquestionsorcontroversiesusingeachother’sideasandhistoricaltextsasresources.Thepurposesofsuchdiscussionsaretobuildcollectiveknowledgeandallowstudentstopracticelistening,speaking,andengaginginhistoricalinterpretation.Ininstructionallyproductivediscussions,theteacherandawiderangeofstudentscontributeorally,listenactively,andrespondtoandlearnfromothers’contributions”(Reismanetal.,2018).Inhistoryclassrooms,discussionsrevealtheinterpretivenatureofhistory.Gooddiscussionsinhistoryinvitestudentsintoaproblemspace:adebateortensionabouthowweshouldunderstandthepastthatinvitesmultiple,legitimateinterpretations(Reisman,2015).Whatdon’twemeanwhenwesay“discussion”inanyclassroom?Anexampleofdiscourseintheclassroomthatdoesn’tfallunderthedefinitionofdiscussionis“initiation-response-follow-up,”a“monologic”formofdiscoursewhereateacherevaluatesstudentanswerstoaknown-answerquestiontheyhaveposed.Arecentstudyobservedthat90%ofclassroomdialoguefollowedthis“initiation-response-follow-up”pattern(Freedman,2020).Whatarethebenefitsofdiscussioninsocialstudiesclasses?Discussionisacoreclassroomactivitythatsupportslearningandinquiryinsocialstudies(e.g.,Al-Adeimi&O’Connor,2021;Alexander,2018;Freedman,2020;Hess,2009;Hess&McAvoy,2015;Parkeretal.,2011;Reismanetal.,2018;Snowetal.,2009).Whenfacilitatedbyaskilledteacher,itcanprovideopportunitiesforlearningthat:●Deepenandbroadenstudents’historicalthinkingskills(Kohlmeier,2006;vanBoxtel,2002;Reisman,2015;vanDrie&vandeVen,2017;vanBoxtel&vanDrie,2013),●Buildstudents’capacitytolistentodiverseviewpointsanddialogueacrossdifferences(Hess,2009),●Developstudents’civicidentity(Myersetal.,2015),and●Positivelyinfluencestudents’civicinvolvementaftergraduation(Andolinaetal.,2003;Hess&McAvoy,2015).Whatarethebenefitsofdiscussioningeneral?Acrosssubjectareas,discussionsfoster:●Civicdiscourse(Epistelomogietal.,2024;Hess&McAvoy,2015)●Appreciationofmultipleperspectives(Carrasco&TorresIrribarra,2018)●Deeperunderstanding(Applebeeetal.,2003;Howeetal,2019;Webbetal.,2014)●Argumentationwithevidenceandtext-basedreasoning(Al-Adeimi&O’Connor,2021;GoldbergDeeperDiscussionsinWorldHistory|CCBY-NC-ND4.01
etal.,2011;Murphyetal,2009)●Developmentofacommunityofinquiry(Elbers,2003;Engle&Conant,2002;Goos,2004)●Studentengagement(Alexander,2018;Vasalampietal.,2021)WorksCitedAl-Adeimi,S.,&O'Connor,C.(2021).Exploringtherelationshipbetweendialogicteachertalkandstudents’persuasivewriting.LearningandInstruction,71,Article101388.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101388Alexander,R.(2018).Developingdialogicteaching:Genesis,process,trial.ResearchPapersinEducation,33(5),561–598.https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2018.1481140Andolina,M.M.,Jenkins,K.,Zukin,C.&Keeter,S.(2003).Habitsfromhome,lessonsfromschool:Influencesonyouthcivicengagement,PS:PoliticalScienceandPolitics,36(2),275-280.Applebee,A.N.,Langer,J.A.,Nystrand,M.,&Gamoran,A.(2003).Discussion-BasedApproachestoDevelopingUnderstanding:ClassroomInstructionandStudentPerformanceinMiddleandHighSchoolEnglish.AmericanEducationalResearchJournal,40(3),685-730.https://doi-org.proxy.library.upenn.edu/10.3102/00028312040003685Carrasco,D.,&TorresIrribarra,D.(2018).Theroleofclassroomdiscussion.InA.Sandoval-Hernández,M.M.Isac,&D.Miranda(Eds.),Teachingtoleranceinaglobalizedworld(IEAResearchforEducation,Vol.4,pp.87–101).Springer.Elbers,E.(2003).Classroominteractionasreflection:Learningandteachingmathematicsinacommunityofinquiry.EducationalStudiesinMathematics54,77–99Engle,R.A.,&Conant,F.R.(2002).Guidingprinciplesforfosteringproductivedisciplinaryengagement:Explaininganemergentargumentinacommunityoflearnersclassroom.CognitionandInstruction,20(4),399–483.Epistelomogi,I.,Zoweil,M.,Sabau,T.,Wu,J.,Wang,C.,&Rao,J.S.(2024).Theimpactofdiscourse-basedlearningonstudentcivicengagement,polarization,andtopiccomprehension.JournalofAdvancedResearchinSocialSciences,7(4),56–70.https://doi.org/10.33422/jarss.v7i4.1332Freedman,E.B.(2020).Whendiscussionssputterortakeflight:Comparingproductivedisciplinaryengagementintwohistoryclasses.JournaloftheLearningSciences,29(3),385-429.https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2020.1744442Goldberg,T.,Schwarz,B.B.,&Porat,D.(2011).“CouldTheyDoItDifferently?”:NarrativeandArgumentativeChangesinStudents’WritingFollowingDiscussionof“Hot”HistoricalIssues.CognitionandInstruction,29(2),185–217.https://doi.org/10.1080/07370008.2011.556832Goos,M.(2004).Learningmathematicsinaclassroomcommunityofinquiry.JournalforResearchinDeeperDiscussionsinWorldHistory|CCBY-NC-ND4.02
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writinginhistory.LanguageandEducation,31(6),526–542.Vasalampi,K.,Metsäpelto,R.-L.,Salminen,J.,Lerkkanen,M.-K.,Mäensivu,M.,&Poikkeus,A.-M.(2021).Promotionofschoolengagementthroughdialogicteachingpracticesinthecontextofateacherprofessionaldevelopmentprogramme.Learning,CultureandSocialInteraction,30,100538.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2021.100538Webb,N.M.,Franke,M.L.,Ing,M.,Wong,J.,Fernandez,C.H.,Shin,N.,&Turrou,A.C.(2014).Engagingwithothers’mathematicalideas:Interrelationshipsamongstudentparticipation,teachers’instructionalpractices,andlearning.InternationalJournalofEducationalResearch,63,79–93.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2013.02.001ThecreationofthesematerialswassupportedbytheInstituteofEducationSciences,U.S.DepartmentofEducation,throughGrantR305A220457toDigitalPromise.TheopinionsexpressedarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotrepresentviewsoftheInstituteortheU.S.DepartmentofEducation.ThisworkislicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs4.0InternationalLicense.