Exploring the Impact of Dialogic Literary Gatherings on Students’ Relationships With a Communicative Approach

Abstract

Taking a communicative approach in a qualitative inquiry entails including people’s voices through dialogues that are egalitarian and oriented toward transformation. This approach aligns with the transformative paradigm in the pursuit of ensuring the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. This article explores the role of the communicative approach when conducting a case study in an elementary school to study the impact of dialogic literary gatherings (DLGs) on students’ relationships, particularly for those students most at risk of being marginalized. For that purpose, dialogic encounters with teachers and students occurred in the school to jointly develop the research. During the DLGs, researchers engaged in egalitarian dialogues with the students, and these dialogues facilitated getting to know each other and building relationships of trust. The communicative approach in this study allowed us to establish a profound dialogue with 9-year-old girls to grasp the transformative impact they experienced in their relationships with others. Students’ voices are considered essential in communicative research to provide socially useful results and to measure transformative social impacts beyond the educational establishment.

Transforming students’ attitudes towards learning through the use of successful educational actions

“…This article discusses the impact of participating in two educational activities previously defined as successful educational actions (SEAs) [ 7 ] on attitudes towards learning shown by students who have participated in these actions. Thus far, we have clear evidence of the positive impact that SEAs have on learning outcomes [ 11 – 15 ], and there are studies suggesting that there is also a positive effect on the coexistence and cohesion of the group-class [ 16 , 17 ]. However, previous studies have not explored the impact that such SEAs may have on students’ own attitudes.…”

Qualitative Study on Dialogic Literary Gatherings as Co-creation Intervention and Its Impact on Psychological and Social Well-Being in Women During the COVID-19 Lockdown

“…The decision-making process for the implementation of the online DLG during the lockdown is based on existing evidence that this intervention is a successful educational action that improves cognitive, social and emotional well-being (33,35,36,64). However, this process of decision-making and implementation goes beyond the EIDM and responds to the so-called dialogic recreation of knowledge (DRK) (16,32,37).…”

“…The interviews collect the postulates of the communicative methodology of research ( 15 , 36 , 48 ). The interviews using a communicative approach are conducted as open conversations in which the researcher shares the existing evidence with the interviewee.…”

“…As well as the DLG have been transferred to prisons and primary care health centres in Spain. There is extensive evidence on how the implementation of the dialogical learning principles on which DLGs are based promotes the cognitive, social, and emotional improvement of participants, regardless of their age, educational level and cultural background (32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37). Research that presents how online DLGs have been implemented in primary and secondary schools in Spain to promote supportive environments during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has been published very recently (37).…”

Beyond the School Walls: Keeping Interactive Learning Environments Alive in Confinement for Students in Special Education

“…When implemented in regular schools, students with SEN participate in the DLGs in an equal way, minimizing the differences between them and the rest of the students (Molina Roldán, 2015). Research (García-Carrión et al, 2020) has indicated that, through the DLGs, the low expectations and prejudices some students with disabilities have to face can be transformed. In this regard, DLGs have shown not only to contribute to the integration of students with SEN to their class but also to foster their instrumental learning (Molina Roldán, 2015).…”