ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews findings from the extant literature on classroom discussion and to explore the factors that influence the building of a rich and meaningful discussion. The first pedagogical decision that a teacher will likely consider before conducting a classroom discussion is whether to divide the class into small groups or keep them as single, large group. The teacher-student relationship is less commonly seen in homogeneous group discussions without the presence of low-ability students. Instead, high-ability students are found to produce more collaborative reasoning with other group members during homogeneous discussions. The chapter reviews the varied behavior and interaction patterns of students at different ability levels, accompanied by illustrative examples from authentic classroom discussions. Teachers need to acknowledge the individual differences of students and adjust for their particular needs so as to enhance the quality of classroom discussion. The findings reviewed are to provide teachers with a broad sense of how learner characteristics influence the dynamic processes of classroom discussions.
