Previous studies show positive results of implementing dialogic reflection on teacher professional development. One of the very influential studies conducted by Mann and Walsh (2013) shows how reflective practice could be achieved through reflective dialogues. DR was a tool that fostered a systematic and structured approach. Their study provides evidence of the teachers’ development and their involvement in deeper reflection through micro-analysis in which recorded data extracts and transcripts of these recordings of their own context and experience were used and analysed by teacher practitioners. An instance of the extract illustrated that two peer teachers were engaging in DR in which one teacher asked the other teacher questions to evaluate her practice. Reflection was promoted through the reflective questions and the teacher had opportunities to clarify her reflection, to understand her practice
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and to explain why she did so. The results of their study show that extracts of reflective data which are more “insider account” can lead to an insight of how dialogic reflection fosters changes in instructional practice. According to Walsh and Mann (2015), even though this type of research might be “small-scaled, localized, context specific, and private”, teachers’ own data is considered “rich sources” and the employment of their own data encourages teachers to engage more in reflection (pp. 354). Therefore, DR through micro-analysis provides “a more empirical, data-led, and linguistic description of the nature of reflective practice” (Walsh and Mann, 2015, p. 354).
Besides, the previous studies show that DR fosters reflective practice. A study by Nehring et al. (2011) through discussions or reflective dialogues was found to promote three groups of educators’ reflective practice and the construction of new knowledge. Harford and MacRuairc (2008)’s study also shows that peer-videos in the classroom and guidance provided by a facilitator could promote reflective practice among twenty pre-service teachers. Another study conducted by Bain et al. (2002) show that appropriate guidance and feedback provided to pre- service teachers promote reflective practice and lead to transformative practice.
Studies of DR were also conducted for the purpose of promoting professional identities. For instance, the most recent study conducted by ab Rashid (2018) reveals that thirty-four English language teachers could better interpret their professional lives after engaging in teaching- related conversations on Facebook timelines. The update of status on teacher’s FB page was the initial point and the comments were continually given. In his study, teachers shared their problematic issues encountered at school and other teachers shared ideas which led to supportive conversations. Similarly, a study by Hepple (2010) shows that dialogic reflection through post-teaching focus group discussion could facilitate pre-service teachers’ professional identity development on the roles of teacher and students.
Besides this, the previous studies reveal the effectiveness of DR as a means of instructional improvement. To illustrate, Hanedat et al. (2017)’s study shows that dialogic interaction between a kindergarten teacher participant and a coach leads to better understanding of a teacher’s practice which enables her to improve her dialogic inquiry with her students. The teacher participated in a coaching cycle including 30-minute pre-conference to discuss her lesson plans, 45 minutes for classroom observations and 30-minute post-conference to discuss her practices. The coaching cycle provided dialogic learning space for the teacher to gain a better understanding of her practice through dialogic inquiry. Therefore, it seems possible to
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conclude that dialogic reflection facilitates improvement in professional identity, reflective practice, and teaching practices.
Previous studies relating to dialogic reflection reveal similar factors leading to positive results after participating in DRs. Sharing teaching experiences among the participants seems to be the first factor facilitating improvement in the aforementioned studies. Opportunities of decontextualising their experience through engaging with others’ viewpoints challenge and allow the teachers to explore their instructional practices. Engaging teachers in a discussion, analysis, and interpretation of classroom events, and having interaction with others allows sharing different voices (Bain et al., 2002). The second factor might be supportive and collaborative conversations as found in a study by ab Rashid (2018), Hepple (2010) and Hardford and MacRuire (2008). The findings seem to indicate that sharing and collaborating in teaching related contexts could foster teacher learning.
Aside from the previously mentioned studies, Wilkinson, et al. (2017) studied the impacts of videotape discussions between two state school teachers on changing teachers’ beliefs and practices. The comparison of the results of the VDO analysis at the beginning and the end shows that there were improvements in teachers’ facilitation of the inquiry dialogue and the quality of students’ argument literacy. However, no change in teachers’ beliefs about knowledge and knowledge justification was found. Possible explanations included how they measured beliefs might not be insensitive to shifts in beliefs, difficulties in articulating beliefs about abstract issues and complicated relationship between beliefs and practices.
As shown in prior studies, DR based on sociocultural theory allows co-construction of meanings, deeper understanding which contributes to teacher learning and professional development. What shares in common among these previous studies is that DR occurs through conversations between two or more people which produces the discourse. Moreover, knowledge is co-constructed in even a small conversational group.
Most of the aforementioned studies reveal positive changes in teachers’ practice except for the changes in beliefs. However, the influence of DR on changes in beliefs seems unclear; hence, it seems essential to research more on this topic area. Regarding what has been lacked in prior studies, the focus of this present study was to enhance better understanding of changes in beliefs and practices in order to clarify the influence of dialogic reflection on shifts in teachers’ beliefs and practices where little studies have been found. Therefore, this study will provide sessions for post observation professional conversation built up through a dialogic approach (Walsh,
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2011, 2013, Kim and Silver, 2016) to foster reflective practice and examine if dialogic reflection could lead to teacher learning or changes in beliefs and practices.