Constructing Meaning Through Dialogue: An Examination of Teachers’ Classroom Practice Regarding Different Dialogic Aims

This article examines theoretical perspectives on classroom dialogue and how these might be reflected in empirical data. Drawing upon existing literature, six distinct theoretical approaches to classroom discourse are identified and subsequently employed to analyze teachers’ dialogic practices within a professional development programme focused on enhancing classroom dialogue. Data collection included classroom recordings, which were analyzed through sociocultural discourse analysis. Findings reveal that teachers can integrate all the prescribed theoretical approaches into their practice to some extent. While some approaches appeared clearly in the data because they are closely related to educational processes, others emerged only partially, requiring a more subjective interpretation in the analysis. All episodes were explored in relation to what contextualized the emergence of different types of dialogue. This study suggests the importance of careful planning and reflective practice to ensure teachers effectively leverage the strengths of each theoretical approach in their classroom dialogue.