Academic / Professional Research

Task: Share three pieces of academic or professional reading and explain how they and other sources helped your form hypotheses about aspects of teaching that might contribute to current patterns of learning.

Initial hypothesis: A focus on teaching interpersonal skills and critical thinking through reading and writing, will result in an increase in levels of interpersonal skills and critical thinking when children comment on each others blogs online.

Developed hypothesis (supported by research and preliminary data): A focus on critical thinking and causal reasoning when responding to texts will support increased levels of critical thinking and ability to create causal links in online written interactions with others.

Academic/ Professional readings to support the forming of the above hypothesis:

Collaborative reasoning: a dialogic approach to group discussions (Cambridge Journal of Education, 2009)
By Alina Reznitskaya, Li-Jen Kuo, Ann-Marie Clark, Brian Miller, May Jadallah, Richard C. Anderson and Kim Nguyen-Jahield

Summary notes:
- Pedagogical Approach - Collaborative Reasoning
- Controversial Issues
- The introduction of this article suggests an importance for dialogue to be thoughtful, meaningful and a skill that needs to be developed as teachers.
- There should be "meaningful feedback" during dialogue (p. 30).
- Important to look at the individual student rather than group interactions when looking at dialogue.
- Some measurement/assessment tools that don't measure collaborative reasoning - vocab tests, reading comp tests. Note, this is interesting as I was going to look at reading comp test responses as a measure. It does mention that with such little research, this doesn't especially mean these above findings are definite.
- Collaborative Reasoning is important to the success of individuals in the wider world.
- Monologism (one way) vs. Dialogue (two way) - important to ask ourselves, which of these are we using as teachers?
- Egalatarian
- Argumentation moves: "...taking a position on the issue, supporting it with reasons and evidence, challenging the positions of others, and responding to counterarguments" (p. 32).
- Internalised --> Externalised
- Argument Schema --> Argument stratagems / tools to use during argumentation: " ‘In the story, it said [EVIDENCE]’ " (p. 32).
- Collaborative reasoning: important that the topic is engaging and allow for rich dialogue.
1. Big Question launched. "Big questions address moral or societal dilemmas that are both complex and central to human experience." (p. 33).
2. Each student takes an initial position.
3. Speak (Reasons & Evidence); Listen (Evaluate & consider different view points)
- Collaborative reasoning pedagogical strategies:
"(a) prompting students for their positions and justification of reasons; (b) explicitly drawing attention to the use of effective argument stratagems; (c) modeling reasoning processes by thinking aloud; (d) challenging students with countering ideas; (e) keeping track of proposed arguments by summing up students’ contributions; and (f) using the vocabulary of critical and reflective thinking (Waggoner et al., 1995)." (p. 35).
- More talking during collaborative reasoning compared to memorising/answering questions.

- During collaborative reasoning, children pick up each others strategies (Snowball hypothesis).

- Link between collaborative reasoning and increased argumentation skills in writing.

- In the studies looked at in this paper, the focus was not on achievement or progress in tests but in quality of dialogue. However, there is proof of transfer / applying new skills to new activities/ tasks.

It is interesting that throughout the pandemic lockdown and during the return to school in level 2, I feel that we have reverted to a more monologist approach, where we as the teachers are in control. Why is this? Is it because we are in an unfamiliar situation at the moment where we are physically distant from the children and we feel we are more in control and can 'see' there learning better in this way? Is it that we are wanting the children to feel a great sense of success which we feel they can do with a task which is more closed and mono-directional?

This article really supports my hypothesis as it stated an increased level of argumentation in written responses even when the focus was on argumentation through speech. This suggests that a focus on collaborative reasoning with this reading group could support them in demonstrating critical thinking (through argumentation) in other areas.

Critical thinking is a 21st-century essential — here’s how to help kids learn it, article by Mary Halton

Summary notes:

- Summary  of Ted Talk by Brian Oshiro (Educator/ Teacher Trainer):

- Critical Thinking is really important to teach application of knowledge.

- Important that there is not one correct answer as this is more like the real world.

- Questions with a correct answer creates superficial knowledge/ belief of knowledge.

- Instead of 'what' , use 'how' and 'why' questions.

- Having evidence for a response to a question is important.

- Understanding different perspectives is really important.

- Providing solutions to a problem - make sure this is not too wide a question.

- The Role of the Teacher: "...direct their questions, listen and respond."

This speech by Brian Oshiro really highlights the importance of teaching using collaborative reasoning in the classroom. It gives some really useful tips on how this can be done. It supports my hypothesis of using collaborative reasoning/ causal reasoning/ critical thinking in the classroom.

New Zealand Curriculum

- Has a focus on equity and equality (as does collaborative reasoning, as mentioned in the above study).
- NZ Curriculum vision: "Young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners." - links to above article which mentions importance for applying skills from collaborative reasoning to the wider world).
- Vision for "critical and creative thinkers" and "Informed decision makers."
- Value: "innovation, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively"
- "discuss disagreements that arise from differences in values and negotiate solutions"

Multiple areas of the curriculum suggest the importance for critical thinking. Therefore, I feel confident that my focus on critical thinking in the classroom is justified.