Critical Dialogue: Perspectives and Practices of Three Bilingual Elementary Science Teachers

摘要

Transformative science educators propose critical dialogue as the vehicle to a truly inclusive education in culturally and linguistically diverse settings. However, the elements of critical dialogue tend to be elusive when we try to identify them in the perspectives and practices of elementary science educators. This multiple-case study explored definitions of critical dialogue as expressed by three bilingual elementary science teachers and examined their pedagogical practices during science instruction under the lens of existing literature on dialogic education. The findings document the participants' attempts to ask critical questions and to utilize interactional practices throughout some of the lessons observed. The participants perceived dialogue as a teacher-directed process and adhered to cooperative learning strategies based on paired-conversations, but failed, in most cases, to extend or initiate teacher?student or student-student critical dialogue.