The Dialogic Framework and the application
Introduction
My contribution to knowledge primarily rests on the construction of the Dialogic Framework. This framework brings together four key aspects of the existing educational theories of children’s speech and cognitive learning development. The framework is for Malaysian children and teachers to uphold the significance of Dialogue inside or outside classroom learning. The framework emphasises two approaches to teaching and learning with the use of technological devices to facilitate learning. The two approaches are named the Exploratory Dialogue and the Physical Functions Dialogue. These approaches highlight the use of Dialogue to children’s psychological functions of perception, attention, sensory motor- operation and memory. The four existing theories mentioned are the pillars that help create this framework with the Interactive technological devices and the ZPD concepts to this approach. The theories are: The dynamic system of human functions – the higher psychological functions as set out by Vygotsky375; the child logic theory of Piaget376; the theory of social speech as enculturation by Rogoff and Wertsch377; and the theory of distributed cognition by Salomon378.
The background of the Malaysian Education System
In 2012, the Malaysia Education Department identified that Malaysian children lack cognitive thinking skills. A report – Preliminary Interim Plan 2011-2020 (2012) has been issued to focus on the educational strategies that highlight children’s cognitive learning379
. The Interim Plan underlined eight standard components of learning for students. These are the use of the Malay language and the strengthening of students’ use of the English language;
375
Cole, M. John-Steiner, V. Scribner, S. and Souberman, E., 1978. L. S. Vygotsky, Mind in Society: the
Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
376
Piaget, J., 1959. The Language and Thought of the Child, 3rd Edition, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.
377
Rogoff, B., 1990. Apprenticeship in Thinking: Cognitive Development in Social Context, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wertsch, J. V., 1985. Vygotsky and the Social Formation of Mind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
378
Salomon, G., 1997. Distributed Cognitions: Psychological and Educational Considerations, Cambridge University Press.
379
Ministry of Education, 2012. Preliminary Report, Malaysia Education Blueprint, Kuala Lumpur: Government Printers.
innovation and creativity; support for vocational education; early education for children; inclusive education; sports activity for students; cyber learning and lastly partnership of public, private, community and parents. Likewise, there are six standard components to support teachers, schools and the government. These include the teachers’ profession; reinforcement of faith appreciation and good value; strengthening the schooling structure; stabilizing
infrastructure of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM); transforming curriculum and co- curriculum and lastly transforming assessment methodology380.
In 2012, the Ministry of Education Malaysia endorsed the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which focuses on the strategies that highlight the need for a significant improvement in children’s cognitive learning development381
. The Blueprint emphasises the importance of a richer range of educational issues in Malaysia. The report stresses the significance of the aspirations of students and their educational development with the knowledge of thinking skills, leadership skills, bilingual proficiency, ethics and an awareness of spiritual and national
identity. The most important matter is the students’ educational outcomes382. Hence, the Dialogic Framework is, I argue, important to help the new Malaysian generation uphold the principles of responsibility, integrity and the desire for individuals to be educated. For example, Zakaria, E and Iksan, Z. (2007) in the Journal of Mathematics, Science and
Technology Education assert that there are two pedagogical limitations in Malaysian schools383. Lecture-based instruction and teacher-centred instruction have been identified as passive acquisition of knowledge; students become passive recipients of knowledge and resort to rote learning. They claim that the teacher-talk technique - using lectures, directed demonstrations and simple Q & A, which dominates 80% of the talk in most classrooms – generally leads to students seldom asking questions or exchanging thoughts with other students in the class384.
380
Malaysia Education Department, 2012. Pelan Strategik Interim KPM 2011-2020, Kuala Lumpur: Government Printers.
381
Ministry of Education, 2012. Preliminary Report, Malaysia Education Blueprint, Kuala Lumpur: Government Printers.
382
Ibid. pp. 5.
383 Zakaria, E. and Iksan, Z., 2007. Promoting Cooperative Learning in Science and Mathematics Education: A
Malaysian Perspective, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 3 (1): pp. 35-39.
384
The Theoretical background of the Dialogic Framework
The Dialogic Framework is a framework that emphasises children and teachers’
involvement and participation in the classroom with the use of Talk or Dialogue as a teaching and learning approach. This approach integrates the use of the interactive technological devices with the ZPD concept. The ZPD concept reinforces teacher’s and children’s open commitment to learn, share and solve problems together. The ZPD concept was proposed by Vygotsky in 1930s, claiming that the construction of knowledge and understanding is a natural process of social activity between children and parents or teachers. Children gain knowledge better through speech, face to face context, play or learning together through mistakes, or not, with a capable peer, parent or teacher. These processes are claimed to be a more valuable process than direct interpretations of the physical world. Children are mediated by the society where they live. With social interactions, children encounter many wonderful things with many people (Cole, et al, 1978)385.
Mercer and Littleton, (2007) argue that the ZPD is an integral part of an interactive theory of cognitive development, a process of joint activity for children and parents at home or teachers in the classrooms386. In 2004, Mercer applied Thinking Together – A Dialogue approach program that built on the Vygotskian notion of language as the prime cultural and
psychological tool for learning387. The scholars argue that Talk is a tool for creating a new shared understanding. Talk or Dialogue would not be finished in just the classroom, learners take up topics they discussed on earlier occasions and transfer the experience they have. Thus, they learn about their discussions in terms of future activities and outcomes (Mercer, 1995, 2000; Littleton, 1999; Rojas-Drummond, 2000; Mercer & Littleton, 2007)388. Consequently,
385
Cole, M., John-Steiner, V., Scribner, S. and Souberman, E., 1978. Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: the
Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
386
Mercer, N. and Littleton, K., 2007. Dialogue and the Development of Children’s Thinking, a Sociocultural
Approach, pp. 13-15, London and New York: Taylor & Francis Group, Routledge.
387
Adapted from Dawes and Sams, 2004a., pp. 105. Dawes, L. and Sams, C., 2004a. ‘Developing the Capacity to
Collaborate’, in K. Littleton, D. Miell and D. Faulkner (eds.) Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn, New
York: Nova.
388 Mercer, N., 1995. The Guided Construction of Knowledge: Talk Amongst Teachers and Learners, Clevedon:
Multilinguil Matters. Littleton, K., 1999, “Productivity through interaction: an overview”, in K. Littleton and P. Light (eds.) Learning with Computers: Analysing Productive Interaction, London: Routlegde. Mercer, N. and Littleton, K., 2007. Dialogue and the Development of Children Thinking; A Sociocultural Approach, pp. 39, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.