5 Using different approaches to a discussion
During classroom discussions, students should normally be allowed to freely express what they think and believe to be true. As their teacher, you can ask them to clarify their ideas and justify why they think something. Ask them for the evidence for their ideas – what have they observed or heard?
Listening to your students talk will help you gain insight into their scientific understanding. It will also enable you to identify any confused ideas that your students may have so that you can address these at the end of the discussion or in subsequent lessons. To help students do this, you need to give them a range of differently structured discussions. The key resource ‘Talk for learning’ summarises the advantages of using talk and lists some strategies you could use. Additionally, alternatives are given in Resource 4 – some of these are valuable exercises for older, more experienced and competent students, who will be better at considering issues from different perspectives.
Case Study 3: A balloon debate
When Mrs Pandya was training to be a teacher, she was introduced to an activity called a balloon debate. The idea behind a balloon debate is that a hot air balloon is descending too quickly. In order to lighten the load and save the passengers, some items from within the basket must be thrown overboard. Taking the role of a passenger in the basket, each student ‘owns’ a particular item or concept, and must argue why they should be allowed to keep it.
I explained to my class what a balloon debate was and organised them into groups of five. I explained that each group of five represented a passenger in the balloon’s basket and had to argue why their foods should be kept in the basket. I gave the students in each group a set of cards, on which the following food groups were written:
- fruit and vegetables
- starchy foods: bread, rice, potatoes and pasta (including whole-grain varieties)
- meat, fish, eggs and beans
- milk and dairy foods
- all fats and sugars.
The students took turns to listen to one another’s opinions and justifications as to why their foods should not be discarded. I identified a few students that were struggling to apply the knowledge that they had learnt, and supported them with additional questioning. Each group then explained to the rest of the class why their foods should remain in the basket.
We concluded the discussion by voting for a food group to be thrown out of the balloon. The students found it difficult to agree, as they realised that all the food groups had a vital role to play in the human body. In the end we agreed that if sugar had been listed as an item on its own – that is to say, separate from fats – we would throw it out of the basket.
 Pause for thought How does defending a viewpoint that is not necessarily theirs help your students’ thinking and understanding about a topic? |
Topics that are suitable for debate should ideally involve two or more contradictory viewpoints, thereby offering students the possibility of appreciating the tension between one side and another. These topics are often presented as proposals or questions.
Activity 4: Debating malnutrition
You should set up a normal debate or a balloon debate with your class (see Resource 4). You can select the categories that Mrs Pandya used with her class or devise your own for the balloon debate. For a straight debate between two teams in the class, you need to devise a statement about the causes of malnutrition. Select the students to support and oppose the statement if doing a straight debate or, for the balloon debate, choose the students who have to defend their place in the balloon. Give them time to prepare their argument by providing it as homework and give them any information they may need. Ask the rest of the class, for their homework, to revise all they know about food and malnutrition so they can ask useful questions during the debates.
On the day of the debate, direct the students who are speaking to sit or stand together where they can be seen and heard by all. Give clear instructions about what order they speak in and let the debate begin. Limit the time for each speaker. At the end, give time for questions and then ask all the students to vote for either what has to be ‘thrown out’ of the balloon or which viewpoint they support of the two opposing views.
Thank all the students for their efforts, especially the speakers, and ask if they are happy with the result of the vote.
A key benefit of adopting discussion as a teaching strategy is that it helps students to develop the ability to logically organise and express their thoughts in the presence of others, and thus communicate more effectively and with greater confidence. Similarly, students can learn to respect the different viewpoints presented. It also provides a forum for those less confident to watch and listen to public speaking, which can build confidence in their own understanding.
4 The role of the teacher