The respectful talk model: Critical thinking through dialogue - effects on pupils at risk

Abstract

Equity in education is still a problem for many countries, so as well in New Zealand (OECD, 2014). However, recent research provides evidence that dialogic teaching is a pedagogy that benefits all pupils (O’Connor et al., 2017), opening the possibility for more equitable education. Moreover, dialogic teaching possesses the capacity to develop critical thinking in pupils (Murphy et al., 2018), a competence demanded by New Zealand’s standardized national secondary assessment (Hipkins et al., 2016). In this study we examine the effects of a classroom intervention based on a newly developed framework (Respectful Talk model), synthesizing research on dialogic teaching and different perspectives on critical thinking, for secondary pupils’ critical thinking skills. The longitudinal quasi-experimental study indicated positive effects of the intervention on pupils’ critical thinking, regardless of cultural or socio-economic background. We discuss our findings in light of current research on talk-intensive pedagogies, equity and teacher professional development and propose implications for secondary education.