Understanding dynamics supportive of learning in the young learner classroom

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Abstract

We will start this talk by asking our audience to take two minutes to reflect on which key terms they feel can describe a young learner classroom environment and young learner activities supportive of learning. This is followed by a brief presentation of our own list of key terms that we feel can describe what makes a young learner classroom environment and young learner activities supportive of learning.Next, we explain the dynamical dimension of our framework. Using data from classroom observation and interviews with teachers, we show how the classroom is an 'interlocking system', where getting one thing 'right' (or 'wrong') can radically change the chances, or opportunities, for getting other things 'right' (or 'wrong'). Building on this dynamical perspective, we re-present our list of key terms as an interlocking framework of terms that can describe what makes a young learner classroom environment and young learner activities supportive of learning.In a third part of the talk, we show how the interlocking framework of key terms can be used to bridge between theory and practice, or be used to theorize practice. We do this by introducing a collage of common practices in the young learner classroom, plus a separate collage of theoretical concepts made in the literature, and then use our framework to bridge between practices and theoretical concepts.We conclude the talk by inviting questions about the framework, comments about its usefulness, and feedback that may help to improve it.

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reflection

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