Journey Into Dialogic Pedagogy

Book excerpt: The author came to the decision to embark on this journey into dialogic pedagogy when he firmly realised that education is essentially dialogic. It is not that pedagogy should be dialogic -- he rather argues that it is always dialogic. This is true whether the participants in it, or outside observers of it, realise it or not -- and even when the participants are resistant to dialogue. This statement is in contrast with views that promote dialogic interaction in the classroom as a form of instruction. This conceptualisation contrasts with views that dialogic interaction or conversational instruction are more effective instructional means in comparison to, let's say, a more monologic genre of instruction such as a lecture or a demonstration. This statement is also in contrast with views that assume dialogue is a pedagogical instrument that can be turned on and off. He argues that whatever teachers and students do (or not do) whether in their classrooms or beyond it, they are locked in dialogic relations.