Developments in classroom-based talk

The articles in this issue of the journal on classroom-based talk document recent international developments in this research and demonstrate the power of talk to affect how teachers teach and how students learn across a range of different classroom settings. In many cases, this research builds on previous theoretical perspectives and empirical research to profile new and emerging findings that contribute to new understandings and practices on the key role talk plays in developing student thinking and learning, albeit it through the expression of contrasting opinions or constructed shared meaning and negotiated classroom dialogue. In all instances, teachers play an active role in either implementing an intervention or classroom structure to promote critical reasoning skills or in recognising valuable teacher-learning opportunities for co-constructing and appropriating common knowledge from classroom discussions. The studies reported in this special issue contribute to the corpus of research on classroom-based talk by showing how student discourse is enriched and learning enhanced when teachers are active in implementing constructivist student-centred approaches to learning that challenge childrenʹs thinking in the context of guided, scaffolded teaching and learning experiences.