Interference of Classroom Culture in the Practice of Pedagogical Change: Dialogic Teaching in Upper Primary School Physics Classrooms

<p dir="ltr">The purpose of this study was to explore the aspects of the existing classroom culture of physics teaching and learning that hamper the implementation of dialogic teaching. The study was grounded on Vygotsky’s socio-cultural perspective and Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism. Data were collected from six physics teachers and 325 students in upper primary schools (grades 7 & 8) in Ethiopia using classroom videos, document review, and field notes. A socio-cultural discourse analysis, which consists of coding schemes and qualitative analysis classroom talks, was employed in the study. Results of the study indicated that use of low-level questions; authoritative classroom communication, ineffective teacher intervention and support, and non-exploratory classroom talk were the aspects of the existing classroom culture that influenced classroom practices of teachers and students in dialogic classroom setting. The results of the study imply that before introducing innovative pedagogies, such as dialogic teaching, examining the nature of existing classroom culture and identifying elements of the culture that impede the successful implementation of the new pedagogy is very essential.</p><p dir="ltr">ES/M005240/1</p><p dir="ltr">RLO</p>