Enacting Quality Talk Discussions About Text: From Knowing the Model to Navigating the Dynamics of Dialogic Classroom Culture

Classroom discussions are regarded by both practitioners and researchers as an essential pedagogical practice for fostering students' high-level comprehension of text yet cultivating a dialogic classroom culture conducive to supporting students' productive talk can be a delicate undertaking. In this article, using a series of transcripts from one teacher's classroom, we describe how Quality Talk (QT), a teacher-facilitated discussion approach, can be implemented in ways that promote a shift from a teacher-controlled to a student-centered dialogic classroom culture. First, we overview the QT model with particular attention to the instructional framework and underlying principles of QT. We then describe some challenging dynamics that arise when dialogic classroom culture shifts as well as approaches for balancing these opposing forces to effectively support student learning. Finally, we provide some initial thoughts on next steps in classroom discussion practice and research and the importance of centering equity and inclusion in dialogic classroom culture.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Enacting Quality Talk Discussions About Text: From Knowing the Model to Navigating the Dynamics of Dialogic Classroom Culture. The Reading Teacher 75, 6 p717-731 (2022)], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2110. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions: https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/self-archiving.html#3.