Cited by 348Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesEvaluation of Teaching PracticesLinguistics and Education Research

Developing a coding scheme for analysing classroom dialogue across educational contexts

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Hennessy, Sara, Rojas-Drummond, Sylvia, Higham, Rupert, Márquez, Ana María, Maine, Fiona, Ríos, Rosa María, García-Carrión, Rocío, Torreblanca, Omar +1 more·2016·Learning, Culture and Social Interaction

Abstract

The research reported sought to develop a framework for systematically analysing classroom dialogue for application across a range of educational settings. The paper outlines the development and refinement of a coding scheme that attempts to represent and operationalise commonalities amongst some key theorists in the field concerning productive forms of educational dialogue. The team has tested it using video recordings from classroom settings in the UK and Mexico, across age phases, subject areas, and different interactional contexts including whole class, group and paired work. Our Scheme for Educational Dialogue Analysis (SEDA) is situated within a sociocultural paradigm, and draws on Hymes' Ethnography of Communication to highlight the importance of context. We examined how such a tool could be used in practice. We found that concentrating on the ‘communicative act’ to explore dialogue between participants was an appropriate level of granularity, while clustering the 33 resulting codes according to function of the acts helped to highlight dialogic sequences within lessons. We report on the application of the scheme in two different learning contexts and reflect on its fitness for purpose, including perceived limitations. Development of specialised sub-schemes and a version for teachers is underway.

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Cited by

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Authors
Hennessy, S., Rojas-Drummond, S., Higham, R., Márquez, A. M., Maine, F., Ríos, R. M., García-Carrión, R., Torreblanca, O., & Barrera, M. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
  • Universidad de Deusto (ES)
Corresponding author
Hennessy, Sara
Venue
Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-06
Volume
9
Pages
16-44
ISSN
2210-6561 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2300065122
Cited by
348
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 42 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4
FWCI
112.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Learning Culture and Social Interaction (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DeustoTeka (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Greater South Information System
Funders
  • British Academy International Partnership and Mobility Scheme (RG66509)
  • Economic and Social Research Council (RES063270081, RES000230825)
  • Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (DGAPA-UNAM) (IN303313, PE305814)
  • National Council of Science and Technology (160873)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
  • Social Sciences › Education › Evaluation of Teaching Practices
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Linguistics and Education Research
Keywords
classroom dialogue, coding scheme, educational dialogue, communicative acts, sociocultural perspective, classroom interaction

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