‘Nobody really knows’: the structure and analysis of social constructivist whole class discussions

Abstract

Increasing recognition of the social aspects of constructivist learning has led to calls for the greater use of discussion in science classroom. Yet research on classroom discussion has shown that it is often not suitable for social constructivist aims. This paper presents a brief outline of a method of conducting appropriate social constructivist discussions, plus a model for the structure of open‐ended thinking through such discussion, first advanced by David Perkins (1994), in which discussions are characterized as building a conception through the use of epistemic games under the control of a structured heap. It then outlines a method for the analysis and evaluation of these discussions, illustrated by excerpts from a classroom transcript. The methodology arose from a project to evaluate the processes of such discussion, and the impact on students’ scientific reasoning, over a school year. Implications for researchers and curriculum planners are presented.