Can Teaching Through Dialogue Increase the Engagement of International Students in Business Studies?

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to change the behaviour of adult international students in a business studies class through the use of dialogic teaching to reduce the level of reticence and improve their engagement. Dialogic teaching is the ability to harness the power of talk. Based on qualitative traditions the case study method with a constructionist epistemology was used to examine the roles of identity and culture. Among others, the empirical study noted that some students were not very comfortable with some aspects of dialogic teaching, for example its free-flowing nature. Analysis showed that there was good evidence of certain elements of dialogic teaching, such as extended contribution, encouragement of free expression of views, cued elicitation, and provision of authoritative explanation in the lesson sessions. Being a case study, this report offers a basis for future studies only.