Classroom discourse: teaching, learning, and learning disabilities

This study examined teacher-student discourse from a sociocultural perspective in order to ascertain the nature of effective instruction for school-age students with learning disabilities. This discussion examines one teacher's resource room instruction that was part of a larger study of teacher-student discourse. The results suggested two considerations: (1) the importance of teacher self-reflection and the implications for effective teaching and learning, and (2) differential discourse patterns across academic domains. Wood's notion of contingent teaching (1991) provided a guideline for coding teacher-student discourse. The results suggest that feedback combined with cognitive structuring contribute to effective teaching and learning. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.