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A recent study showed that teaching children reasoning skills aids their academic growth.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) observed the impact of teaching reasoning on 2,500 primary students in the United Kingdom. During the study, teachers used dialogic teaching, a method that encourages students to reason out and answer deep questions. Specifically, they used a dialogic program designed by Cambridge Primary Review Trust and the University of York.
Results of the study affirmed that dialogic teaching could be more effective than learning by memorization. According to the findings, those who learned reasoning skills surpassed other students in English and science subjects.
Dr. Kevan Collins, the EEF’s chief executive, said that dialogic teaching is an effective method, but it is difficult to use. Many teachers who participated in the program reported that they needed around two school terms to adjust to the dialogic method. However, Dr. Collins expressed hopes that the findings of the research can help more schools and teachers.
Like Dr. Collins, it appears that many teachers also recognize the effectiveness of dialogic teaching. School officials at Meadows Primary School, Australia, collaborated with dialogic teaching experts to create a learning program. Instead of lecturing students, the teachers taught expressions that their students can use to agree or disagree with others. The students were also asked to give feedback on their classmates’ ideas. When asked about the impact of this approach, the teachers commented that it taught their students to respect others’ opinions and to be more introspective.