Dialogue and oracy in practicals- can talk improve practical science? (Selected by ASE Research Committee)

Our research project addresses three main questions: 1. Does the type of talk vary in different practical activities (class practicals, teacher demonstrations and exam board specified required practicals)? 2. Do teachers plan classroom talk differently in different practical activities? 3. How do teachers perceive talk in different practical activities? The background to the research, exploring the situation with practical work in UK science classrooms and the impact of the pandemic on practical science will be discussed. There will be small group reflection, a description of the project's aims, methods and findings and discussion on action planning with time for questions and concluding remarks. Participants will come away from this session knowing more about the role of talk in practical science, and will be able to critically reflect on how they might use talk to promote a minds-on approach in their setting. We hope that participants will be inspired to use talk more in practicals!