Speaking Up or Staying Silent: Early Adolescents' Perspectives on Dialogic Participation

Abstract

While scholars emphasize the importance of dialogic talk in fostering students' critical thinking, collaborative learning, and literacy, it remains rare in classroom practice. To better understand students' perspectives on motivations and hindrances for engaging in such discussions, this mixed methods study analyzes 693 survey responses from middle school students who participated in the Word Generation program, a supplementary discussion and debate curriculum. Through thematic content analysis, we identified students' reasons for participation and nonparticipation, including topic relevance, self-expression, and interpersonal dynamics. Additionally, responses were categorized as reflecting intrinsic or extrinsic motivations, with intrinsic motivators—such as interest in the topic or self-efficacy—accounting for the majority of both participation and nonparticipation. By centering students' perspectives and learning from their experiences, this study highlights the importance of creating equitable, student-driven spaces that foster deeper engagement and collaboration.