Classroom Discussion
The sample in this study (Webb & Treagust, 2006) was 12 matched grade-7 science teachers
in similar type schools in urban, peri-urban and rural geographic and sociocultural milieus in
the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Of the four teachers identified in each milieu (setting), one
school (i.e., the teacher plus his/her class of pupils) was randomly chosen at the start of the
study as a control group in order to allow comparisons with the experimental group. Each of
the other three teachers was trained to facilitate discussion, that is, they were introduced to
activities and strategies aimed at promoting or ‘triggering’ discussion between learners (Webb
& Treagust, 2006). The control group teachers played no part in the teacher development activities
and were unaware of the classroom discussion activities and strategies that were being
promoted in the other schools.