This paper concerns the use of a dialogic approach to teachers’ professional development (PD) through systematic inquiry into productive classroom dialogue. Our model for research dissemination and PD aims to overcome the research-practice binary (Admiraal et al. 2017) by embracing collaborative, dialogic and reflective practice to apply and develop theory with teachers. The development of the Teacher Scheme for Educational Dialogue Analysis (T-SEDA) resource pack involves the co-construction of useful knowledge that is embodied its contents. T-SEDA grew from research on the analysis and improvement of educational dialogue in classrooms (e.g. Hennessy et al, 2016). It is currently being developed with teachers and researchers in several countries, including England, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong. High quality educational dialogue is intelligible both as a pedagogical tool for teaching and learning and as an educational end in itself (Wegerif, 2007). Its educational purposes include the development of critical thinking, creative problem solving and democratic classrooms. Specifically, it refers to student-centred interactions that, among others, encourage extended contributions, justification of opinions and resolution of differences (Alexander, 2011). Despite a plethora of research on dialogic learning and teaching for over a decade, dialogic practices are still not widespread, so further PD is called for. T-SEDA includes a coding framework, principles for developing dialogic practice, guidance on classroom inquiry, templates for observing interaction, worked examples, and supporting references. It highlights those elements of dialogue that have been shown to be strongly related to student learning gains in English and mathematics and attitudes to school and self-as-learner (http://tinyurl.com/ESRCdialogue). It incorporates key elements of effective PD design (Desimone, 2009), involving focus and active learning related to elements of teachers’ own practice, and lending itself for collective and sustained PD. Teachers are invited to use the pack and respond with feedback, case investigation examples, and dialogue data (as appropriate). This supports further dialogue between the teachers and the research team (which itself includes researchers and teachers, with long-standing interests in educational dialogue and teacher PD in different contexts: Alexander, Hardman & Hardman, 2017; Davies, Kiemer & Meissel, 2017; Grau et al, 2017; Kershner et al, 2012). We see this approach as a way of gaining insight into the experience of PD from the teachers’ perspectives, co-constructing knowledge and stimulating more productive classroom practices, thereby reflecting the synergy between our commitment to educational dialogue and the dialogic process of PD itself.

Admiraal, W., M. Buijis, W. Claessens, T. Honing, and J. Karkdijk. 2017. Linking theory and practice: teacher research in history and geography classrooms. Educational Action Research 25 (2): 316-331. Alexander, R., F. Hardman, J. Hardman, with T. Rajab and M. Longmore. 2017. Changing talk, changing thinking. Accessed 10 September 2017. http://www.robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Alexander-et-al-EEF-in-house-interim-report-final-170714.pdf Desimone, L. M. 2009. Improving Impact Studies of Teachers’ Professional Development: Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. http://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140 Grau, V., Calcagni, E., Preiss, D. D. & Ortiz, D. 2017. Teachers’ professional development through university–school partnerships: theoretical standpoints and evidence from two pilot studies in Chile, Cambridge Journal of Education, 47(1),19-36 https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2015.1102867 Hennessy, S., Rojas-Drummond, S., Higham, R., et al. 2016. Developing a coding scheme for analysing classroom dialogue across educational contexts. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 9, 16-44. Kershner, R., Pedder, D. and Doddington, C. 2012. Professional learning during a Schools-University Partnership Master of Education course: Teachers' perspectives of their learning experiences. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice 19 (1) Wegerif, R. 2007. Dialogic Education and Technology: Expanding the space of learning. New York, NY: Springer. Futher authors Sara Hennessy sch30@cam.ac.uk Lisa Lee lisa@pjlconsultants.co.uk