Dialogue in Mathematics Educations and its Multiple Interpretations

Abstract This paper aims to discuss interpretations for the dialogue concept, as a form of interaction between teacher and students. Some of these interpretations emerged from the teaching practice of prospective mathematics teachers and from a supervised teaching practice course on mathematics. The paper is part of a doctoral research on the learning of dialogue by prospective teachers. The theoretical framework is based especially on the dialogue concept proposed by Alrø and Skovsmose in the context of critical mathematical education. The research data are episodes from teaching practices, when the prospective teachers tried to put into action the dialogue with the students, and also from moments of reflection on these practices, which favored to address dialogue learning. This paper argues that it is impossible to exhaust the concept, considering the multiplicity and transience of the dialogue. Participation, discussion, uncertainty, movement, and investigation are the interpretations for dialogue presented in this paper.