A Three-Stage Application of the "Agreement" Strategy: Transformation of Teacher and Student Roles in a 10th Grade Physics Classroom

Context: This study focuses on the teaching of physics concepts related to energy in a Year 10 classroom, highlighting the challenges students face in understanding these abstract concepts. The classroom environment is structured to encourage group collaboration, allowing students to engage freely with their peers. The teacher adopts a discussion-oriented teaching style, providing ample time for students to work through problems on tablets, facilitating deep engagement and dialogue. Aims: The research aims to explore how the implementation of the 'agree' strategy can enhance students' understanding of abstract concepts in physics. It is specifically interested in analysis of student interactions in the classroom to determine how these strategies can foster a more inquiry-based, student-centred learning environment, ultimately shifting the role of both students and teachers in the dialogue process. Methods: The study employs qualitative observation methods, capturing classroom dialogues, conducting follow-up interviews with students, and assessing student performance through test questions. A coding system is used to categorize various types of interactions that occur during the lessons, such as teacher questions, student-to-student queries, and instances of agreement or disagreement among participants. Findings: Over the course of four lessons, the findings indicate an evolution in student interactions. Initially reliant on teacher-led dialogues, students gradually develop the ability to engage with one another in agreeing on concepts using the implemented strategies. By the third lesson, discussions became more peer-driven, with students actively questioning and affirming each other's insights, revealing a marked shift from passive responses to independent inquiry and verification. Implications: The study illustrates the potential of the 'agree' strategy within physics education, highlighting methods that resulted in enhanced critical thinking and collaborative discussions among students. This research contributes to understanding how structured dialogue frameworks can transform student-teacher dynamics and encourage deeper comprehension of complex subjects, paving the way for further inquiries into similar pedagogical methods in the teaching of other scientific topics.

Keywords (free text)

physics education, agreement strategies, educational dialogue, think-talk toolkit

Permanent link to cite this item

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14069/1152

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