Establishing the Ground Rules for talk: influencing attitudinal change towards talk as a tool for learning

Abstract

An extensive body of research suggests that harnessing the full potential of purposeful talk as a tool for learning has a positive influence on the cognitive and social development of children. Socio-constructivist educationalists highlight the importance of active participation through social interactions with adults and peers in the co-construction of new knowledge.  Talk has been evidenced as a fundamental tool to achieving this outcome.  The purpose of this action research study, within the context of Curriculum for Excellence, was to investigate whether using ‘ground rules for talk’ could help to make the importance of talk as a teaching and learning tool explicit to both student teacher and classroom pupils and influence attitudes. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that by implementing ‘ground rules for talk’ positive changes in attitude towards the importance of talk in the co-construction of new knowledge and establishing a more dialogic ethos in the classroom can be achieved.