From Constructivism to Dialogism in the Classroom. Theory and Learning Environments

This paper discusses the move from learning theories from the industrial society to learning theories from and for dialogic societies. While in the past intrapsychological elements, such as mental schemata of prior knowledge, were the key to explain learning, today theories point to interaction and dialogue as main means for achieving deep understandings of the curriculum. Concepts arising from psychology and sociology are essential to understand this new conceptualization of learning: dialogic learning, which implies a historico-cultural analysis of mind and the concept of communicative action. This dialogic turn in the explanation of learning has also found its manifestation in classrooms. The Interactive Groups is one learning environment grounded in the theory of dialogic learning which leads to improved academic achievement and coexistence. The article points out some of the dialogic elements of Interactive Groups which explain those results, illustrating how the dialogic construction of knowledge can be favored in classrooms worldwide