Classroom Dialogue and Learning

Dr Victoria Cook, Dr Louis Major, Dr Sara Hennessy with Farah Ahmed, Elisa Calcagni and other colleagues from the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research Group (CEDiR) | View as single page | Feedback/Impact

How to use this guide

Talk is possibly the teacher's main pedagogical tool. Classroom Dialogue can be thought of as a very specific use of talk - one that actively uses language as a cultural tool and psychological tool to enhance learning. Classroom Dialogue is a tool that can be used to help students to construct knowledge as they explore and build on their own, and others’, ideas.

This guide is relevant to all teachers of all age groups. It has been developed initially by colleagues at the University of Cambridge who belong to the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research Group (CEDiR). Drawing on research undertaken both in the UK and other settings over a number of years, it provides an introduction to the concept of Classroom Dialogue. Further, it highlights a number of practical resources and strategies to support teachers in developing a dialogic pedagogy.