3. Teaching talk teaching talk has also been categorised by Robin Alexander each category forms the from which teachers choose, when considering which to use teachers will probably consider
1. the fitness for purpose in relation to the learner
2. the subject-matter
3. the opportunities and constraints of context.
Firstly, let us consider Robin Alexander's categories of teaching talk:
Robin Alexander's categories of teaching talk The three most common forms of teaching talk observed in British classrooms:
Rote (teacher class): the drilling of facts, ideas and routines through repetition.
Recitation (teacher-class or teacher-group): the accumulation of knowledge and through questions designed to test or stimulate recall of what has previously been encountered, or to cue pupils to work out the answer from clues provided in the question,
Instruction/exposition (teacher-class, teacher-group or teacher-individual): telling the pupil what to do, and/or imparting information, and/or explaining facts, principles or procedures.
A less common form:
Discussion (teacher-class, teacher-group or pupil-pupil): the exchange of ideas with a view to sharing information and solving problems.
And even less common:
Dialogue er-class, teacher-group, teacher-pupil, or pupil-pupi): achieving common understanding through structured and cumulative questioning and discussion which guide and prompt, reduce choices, minimise risk and error, and expedite 'handover of concepts and principles
The importance for mathematics teaching
The first three are important as they allow consolidation of work and enable pupils to follow routines. With skilful questioning they can be very effective in promoting aspects of learning of mathematics. However their constant use limits pupils' understanding of mathematics to a body of fixed knowledge that has to be learnt this way mathematics often becomes boring for the pupil as it devalues and restricts the pupils' own thought processes. This is an important reason why dialogic teaching is highly relevant in the maths classroom.
Without dialogue between ourselves and our pupils and between pupils, teaching and learning in mathematics Without listening to pupils, how else do we understand what our pupils are Well-constructed dialogue is a powerful tool in ensuring pupils become mathematically competent.