Recently, Associate Professor Shi Yuchen, Assistant Director of the Curriculum and Instruction Research Institute at East China Normal University, was invited to contribute an article to the Oracy Cambridge website, a research center based at the University of Cambridge. In the piece, Shi introduced her team’s research on dialogic teaching practices in Chinese primary and secondary schools. This contribution aims to familiarize international scholars with dialogic teaching initiatives underway in China and foster greater academic exchange and collaboration in this field.

Assistant director of Curriculum and Teaching Institute, East China Normal University

1. Article Overview

The article begins by highlighting that in China’s latest curriculum standards for compulsory education and senior high school, “communication skills” have been identified as core competencies across multiple subjects. For instance, the Chinese language curriculum emphasizes “language use,” while the mathematics curriculum prioritizes “using mathematical language to express real-world phenomena.” These developments underscore the growing recognition within China’s basic education system of the importance of cultivating students’ communication and expression abilities within subject-specific contexts. However, the article notes that there remains a lack of detailed theoretical guidance and established practical approaches for teachers seeking to develop students’ subject-specific language skills in classroom settings.

Next, the article delves into Shi Yuchen’s team’s intervention studies on dialogic teaching conducted in several primary and secondary schools across China. These studies aim to enhance students’ dialogue and argumentation skills. The findings reveal that both teachers and students in China demonstrate a high level of adaptability and receptiveness to shifts in classroom dialogue patterns. Notably, students showed significant improvements in both oral and written expression, alongside increased engagement in classroom participation.

In conclusion, the article suggests that China’s unique teaching research system (jiaoyan) may facilitate the broader implementation of dialogic teaching models in classrooms. The Curriculum and Instruction Research Institute looks forward to future exchanges and collaborations with the Oracy Cambridge team to jointly explore innovative classroom approaches for enhancing students’ communication skills.

2. About Oracy Cambridge

Oracy Cambridge is an academic research center affiliated with Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge. The center focuses on improving students’ effective oral communication skills and provides evidence-based professional development programs for teachers centered on dialogic teaching. Its research team regularly advises the UK government on related educational policies. The center was founded and is directed by Professor Neil Mercer, a renowned expert in dialogic teaching, and includes other prominent scholars such as Paul Warwick and Pete Dudley.

3. Related Research by Shi Yuchen’s Team

n Shi Yuchen, Argumentative Issue Teaching and Its Application [J]. Global Education Outlook, 2022, (5). (Reprinted in full in the 11th issue of "Primary and Secondary School Education" of the "Renmin University Reprinted Newspapers and Periodicals Database" in 2022)

n Shi Yuchen, Cao Shu. A Comparison of Novice and Experienced Teachers in Implementing Dialogue Teaching: Based on an Intervention Study in Primary School Moral and Rule of Law Classrooms [J]. Journal of Northwest Normal University (Social Sciences Edition), 2023, (11). (Reprinted in full in the 3rd issue of "Quality Education" of the "Renmin University Reprinted Newspapers and Periodicals Database" in 2024)

n Shi Yuchen, Cao Shu, Liu Qunying. Students' Learning Experience in Participating in Argumentative Issue Teaching of Primary School "Moral and Rule of Law" [J]. Global Education Outlook, 2022, (10). (Reprinted in full in the 2nd issue of "Quality Education" of the "Renmin University Reprinted Newspapers and Periodicals Database" in 2023)

n Shi, Y.,Zhang, Z., & Cao, S. (2024). A case study of emergent leadership in whole-class discussion of controversial issues. Language and Education. Online.

n Shi, Y. (2024). The effects of discourse goals on written arguments in elementary school students. International Journal of Educational Research, 126, 102375.

n Shi, Y.,Zhang, Z., Cao, S., & Liu, Q. (2024). Dialogic teaching of controversial issues: discursive moves to enact two-sided discussions. Language and Education, 38(2), 303-319.

n Shi, Y., Shen, X., & Wang, T., Cheng, L., & Wang, A. (2021). Dialogic teaching of controversial public issues in a Chinese middle school. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 30, 100533.

n Shi, Y. (2020a). Constructed dialogs reveal skill development in argumentive writing. Reading and Writing, 33(9), 2311-2335.

n Shi, Y. (2020b). Talk about evidence during argumentation. Discourse Processes, 57(9), 770-792.