TY - JOUR
T1 - Coding classroom dialogue
T2 - Methodological considerations for researchers
AU - Hennessy, Sara
AU - Howe, Christine
AU - Mercer, Neil
AU - Vrikki, Maria
N1 - Funding Information:
Development of CDAS was undertaken as part of the project “Classroom Dialogue: Does it really make a difference for student learning?”, led by Howe, Hennessy and Mercer (2015–2017): http://tinyurl.com/ESRCdialogue . The work was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council under grant ES/M007103/1 . We are grateful to our collaborators and coding team members, including Annabel Amodia-Bidakowski, Elisa Calcagni and Lisa Wheatley. Development of SEDA was carried out in conjunction with Mexican colleagues led by Sylvia Rojas-Drummond for a project ( http://tinyurl.com/BAdialogue ) funded by the British Academy (2013–2015).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/6
Y1 - 2020/6
N2 - Systematic analysis or coding of classroom dialogue is useful for assessing the role of high-quality interaction in supporting learning. However, although coding is an immensely complex and cognitively demanding activity that has taxed researchers over decades, the methodological challenges are often not discussed or problematised in empirical reports. Accordingly, this paper aims to help researchers make sense of the challenges, strengths and practical applications of using systematic coding schemes for analysing classroom dialogue. It presents an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of contrasting approaches and the key methodological considerations, including scope, grain size, reliability and validity. It goes on to provide a worked example, illustrating how one team tackled the challenges in adapting for a new research objective an earlier coding scheme developed for use across diverse contexts. Two original, theory-informed analytic tools created to study the relationship between dialogic teaching and student learning in English primary schools are shared and made available for others' use or adaptation. The paper offers practical guidance for developing or adapting coding schemes for different research purposes. It highlights the need for further precision and critical attention to the ways in which scholars are investigating dialogic practices intended to support learning.
AB - Systematic analysis or coding of classroom dialogue is useful for assessing the role of high-quality interaction in supporting learning. However, although coding is an immensely complex and cognitively demanding activity that has taxed researchers over decades, the methodological challenges are often not discussed or problematised in empirical reports. Accordingly, this paper aims to help researchers make sense of the challenges, strengths and practical applications of using systematic coding schemes for analysing classroom dialogue. It presents an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of contrasting approaches and the key methodological considerations, including scope, grain size, reliability and validity. It goes on to provide a worked example, illustrating how one team tackled the challenges in adapting for a new research objective an earlier coding scheme developed for use across diverse contexts. Two original, theory-informed analytic tools created to study the relationship between dialogic teaching and student learning in English primary schools are shared and made available for others' use or adaptation. The paper offers practical guidance for developing or adapting coding schemes for different research purposes. It highlights the need for further precision and critical attention to the ways in which scholars are investigating dialogic practices intended to support learning.
KW - Analytic scheme
KW - Coding
KW - Dialogue
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081199166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.lcsi.2020.100404
DO - 10.1016/j.lcsi.2020.100404
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081199166
SN - 2210-6561
VL - 25
JO - Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
JF - Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
M1 - 100404
ER -