Implementing dialogic pedagogies in early years mathematics

In this paper, we present the findings from the first year of our study into the use of talk with young children (ages 6 and 7) in their mathematics lessons following four teachers’ implementation of dialogic strategies. Based on Alexander’s (2017) dialogic principles and notions of productive talk, we delivered a professional implementation through a series of four spaced workshops. Teachers were interviewed to reflect on their implementation at the end of the year. These interviews are analysed according to Lefstein’s (2010) theoretical model of dialogic pedagogies to identify the factors that enabled and constrained the teachers in shifting their pedagogies.