Initiation of group-talk with Constructive Academic Conflict in Hong Kong primary schools

The present study examined what needed to be changed and why change is necessary if group-talk with Constructive Academic Conflict is to be implemented in Hong Kong. The study took place in twenty-two Primary Five classes in eight elementary schools in Hong Kong. In each class, about eight groups of discussion in General Studies lessons were audio taped. During whole class teaching, observation record was also taken. This data collection process was repeated twice for each class. The General Studies teachers and eight randonly chosen students from each class were interviewed. Findings appeared to indicate a need for a change to group-talk: first, from avoidance to elicitation of Constructive Academic Conflict; second, from teacher-dominant whole class teaching to that supplemented with 'student-controlled and teacher-backup' small-group interactive learning; third, from product-dominant whole class teaching to the inclusion of 'process-dominant and product-emergent' small-group interactive learning. Implications were drawn for the Hong Kong context.