“Dialogic teaching harnesses the power of talk to stimulate and extend pupils’ thinking and advance their learning and understanding.”

“…dialogic teaching is as much about the teacher as the learner, and relates to teaching across the curriculum.” (both from Professor Robin Alexander)

Dialogic teaching and learning stems from the following principles:

1. Knowledge isn’t fixed - it means different things to different people in different times and places
2. The dialogue between these different perspectives leads to new understandings and new knowledge
3. Teachers and students can become more fully engaged in learning in an environment where these differences are respected and rigorously explored
4. Such exploration, where meanings are constructed from the inside by learners in dialogue, rather than imposed from the outside, leads to powerful learning
5. Learning through dialogue leads not only to content knowledge but improved thinking skills

“Argumentation and dialogue are not simply alternative patterns of communication; they are principled approaches to pedagogy…” (Sylvia Wolfe 2008)