The Dialogic Turn in Educational Psychology

The increasing presence of and claim for dialogue in today"s society has already had an impact on the theory and practice of learning. Whereas in the past individual and cognitive elements were seen as crucial to learning, since about two decades ago, scientific literature indicates that culture, interaction and dialogue are the key factors. In addition, the research project of highest scientific rank and with most resources dedicated to the study of school education in the Framework Program of the European Union: INCLUD-ED shows that the practices of successful schools around Europe are in line with the dialogic approach to learning. This article presents the dialogic turn in educational psychology, consisting of moving from symbolic conceptions of mind and internalist perspectives that focus on mental schemata of previous knowledge, to theories that see intersubjectivity and communication as the primary factors in learning. The paper deepens on the second approach

Antecedentes de las comunidades de aprendizaje

En aquest artícle es presenten algunes de les principals experiències que han inspirat el desenvolupament de les comunitats d'aprenentatge a Catalunya. Concretament, es descriuen l'Escola de Persones Adultes de la Verneda-Sant Martí, de Barcelona, les escoles que al País Basc van iniciar experiències en educació infantil i primària, i les experiències pioneres de Slavin, Levin i Cormer als Estats Units.In this article it is presented some of the main experiences wich have inspired the development of learning communities in Catalonia. It is described the Adult Education School of La Verneda-Sant Martí, in Barcelona, the primary schools in the Basque Country and finally the pioneers in the United States: Slavin, Levin and Cormer.En este artículo se presentan algunas de las principales experiencias que han inspirado el desarrollo de las comunidades de aprendizaje en Catalunya. Concretamente, se describen la Escuela de Personas Adultas de la Verneda-Sant Martí, de Barcelona, las escuelas que en el País Vasco iniciaron experiencias en educación infantil y primaria, y las experiencias pioneras de Slavin, Levin i Cormer en los Estados Unidos

The Dialogic Turn in Educational Psychology

The increasing presence of and claim for dialogue in today's society has already had an impact on the theory and practice of learning. Whereas in the past individual and cognitive elements were seen as crucial to learning, since about two decades ago, scientific literature indicates that culture, interaction and dialogue are the key factors. In addition, the research project of highest scientific rank and with most resources dedicated to the study of school education in the Framework Program of the European Union: INCLUD-ED shows that the practices of successful schools around Europe are in line with the dialogic approach to learning. This article presents the dialogic turn in educational psychology, consisting of moving from symbolic conceptions of mind and internalist perspectives that focus on mental schemata of previous knowledge, to theories that see intersubjectivity and communication as the primary factors in learning. The paper deepens on the second approach

Placing immigrant and minority family and community members at the school's centre : the role of community participation

Schools alone cannot reverse the high rates of school failure in the poorest communities in Europe; they need the contributions of the entire community. Coordination between families, the larger community, and the school has proven crucial to enhance student learning and achievement, especially for minority and disadvantaged families. However, families from such backgrounds often participate in their schools only peripherally because the schools take a ‘tourist’ approach, call parents to inform them about school projects and teachers' programmes, or consult them about decisions to be made by professionals, rather than engaging them in their children's education. In contrast, the INCLUD-ED project studied schools across Europe whose students are culturally diverse and from low SES backgrounds; here, the communities are deeply involved in the schools and the students do well academically. This article focuses on three strategies used by these successful schools to engage immigrant and minority community members in more active, decisive, and intellectual ways and thus have greater impact on the school and the students' learning. It also describes some specific practices of involvement grounded in those strategies and the improvements they generate. Though the schools studied use different practices, the three strategies have been found to contribute to a transformative result in all schools: moving minority and disadvantaged families from the periphery of school participation to the centre.peer-reviewe