Classroom Discussion
Effective Teaching & Learning Practice | Instructional Practice
Classroom
Discussion
Students’ Comprehension of Text
Definition
“Classroom Discussion is a
method of teaching, that
involves the entire class in a
discussion. The teacher
stops lecturing and students
get together to discuss an
important issue.”
Hattie, 2012
The Research
Classroom Discussion
0.82 Effect Size
Characteristics
Hattie, 2009
Purposeful—learner
outcomes in view
Open-Ended—not 1 right
answer, goes back and
forth
Recursive—creates a
cycle of meaning
Collaborative—address
learning tasks together
Murphy et al., 2009
The Benefits
• Allows students to make meaning
through social interaction.
• Leads to deeper thinking.
• Promotes higher-level thinking
• Increases engagement with and
ownership of ideas.
• Allows participation of ALL
students.
The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the US Department of
Education to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(#H323A120018). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the
US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal
Government.