An investigation of developing teachers’ understanding of using dialogic approach in Saudi primary mathematics classrooms

Classroom talk and dialogue has become fundamental to students’ learning mathematics and much research has been focused on the ways teachers interact with their students and the quality of dialogue between them. Drawing on recent developments in dialogic approaches to learning and teaching of mathematics, this study investigates how Saudi mathematics teachers develop their understanding of classroom dialogue through a professional development process in mathematics teaching. The study involves multiple case studies collecting qualitative data on i) teachers’ espoused beliefs about their teaching practice and dialogic teaching and ii) teachers’ enacted practices using dialogic teaching principles. The large case study for this research is the professional development programme and the sub-cases focus on the development of three teachers within this programme. The participants were three male primary mathematics teachers in third, fifth and six-grade classrooms. Classroom observations and video recordings used to collect data about the teachers, focusing especially on the communicative strategies they use in the classroom and quality of discussions which take place. Moreover, interviews conducted with the case teachers to collect data about their beliefs.