Science Teachers’ Dialogic Practices in Senior High School STEM Science Classrooms

Abstract

The integration of diverse discourse strategies is crucial for fostering learning environments where students actively engage in scientific practices, interact with scientific data, and use the technical language of science. This descriptive quantitative study examines the dialogic practices of science teachers in senior high school STEM science classrooms, focusing on the frequency and nature of these practices as perceived by both teachers and students. Survey data were collected from 310 STEM students and 8 science teachers at a private institution in Cavite City, Philippines. A ten-item survey scale assessed the implementation of productive dialogic practices, with item-level analyses conducted using Mann-Whitney U-tests to examine differences in perceptions. Results revealed that students consistently rated the frequency of all ten dialogic practices higher than teachers, with significant disparities in specific moves, including 'Invite Others to Build on Ideas,' 'Build on Ideas,' 'Make Reasoning Explicit,' and 'Challenge.' Furthermore, teachers' years of experience exhibited a positive monotonic relationship with their perceived frequency of dialogic practices. These findings highlight the importance of critically examining how dialogue is enacted and positioned within Filipino science classrooms, emphasizing the need for enhanced awareness and implementation of effective dialogic strategies.