PERC 2015 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Teaching Moves that can Support or Stifle Students Acting as Epistemic Agents in Whole-group Discussions |
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| Abstract: | Discussions, whether in small or large groups, are one of the cornerstones of learning through engaging in scientific disciplinary practices. They provide opportunities for teachers to explore student understanding, and for students to co-construct physics principles from evidence-supported claims. However, it is not always obvious how to best facilitate these discussions in a way that supports students' epistemic agency. Oftentimes, the classroom settles into the convention that the teacher is the epistemic authority. This study explores teachers' and students' moves during consensus discussions within the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum. Teacher and student moves were analyzed for how they promote or constrain students' participation in dialogic discourse. We will discuss specific moves that supported and enhanced students' epistemic agency and authority, as well as moves that could constrain rich student conversations. Finally, we propose strategies based on this research for facilitating discussions and pitfalls teachers may want to avoid. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Enrique Suarez University of Colorado, Boulder School of Education 249 UCB Boulder, CO 80309-0249 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Valerie Otero |
