Publication Date
4-1-1999
Abstract
This study examined one teacher's learning and implementing instructional conversations (Tharp and Gallimore, 1988). She received assistance through opportunities to: 1) observe effective examples of instructional conversations; 2) practice skills and get immediate feedback through conversation; 3) read and discuss articles about instructional conversations and questioning techniques; and 4) read and comment on transcripts of lessons and follow-up conversations. Participant-observation, unstructured conversations, and interviews comprised the data, which included transcripts of audio-taped lessons, follow-up conversations, and interviews. There was a gradual shift in the teacher's practices from recitation to instructional conversation. Action, reflection, and collaborative talk became the process of change in her practice and thinking. Additionally, data revealed that students gave longer responses, initiated conversation, and participated in responsive conversation in which they contributed to, challenged, and extended each others' statements. implications for teachers' professional development are discussed.
Recommended Citation
O'Bryan, B. (1999). The development of one teacher's skills at instructional conversation. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 39 (4). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol39/iss4/2
