ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews several empirical studies in science education that focus on dialogue in questioning, inquiry, argumentation and legitimising conceptual knowledge. It shows how science education researchers have examined the relationship between dialogue and science epistemic practices the conclusions they have drawn from the various methods employed in their studies. According to G. J. Kelly and P. Licona, “epistemic practices are the socially organised and interactionally accomplished ways that members of a group propose, communicate, evaluate, and legitimise knowledge claims”. Each of the epistemic practices in science (questioning, inquiry, argumentation, and legitimising conceptual knowledge) requires the use of discourses, whether spoken, written or symbolic. The chapter explains the discussion and organisation in terms of these four epistemic practices provide a useful way to highlight the role of dialogue across a range of characteristic activities of how scientists conduct their work. It discusses the implications in terms of the conceptual, methodological and pedagogical issues related to the role of dialogue.
