We need to talk about learning: dialogue and learning amongst South African youth

Abstract

In this chapter a pedagogical approach called dialogic learning is unpacked, and its relevance is discussed for contexts like South Africa, places where young people have no living memory of apartheid and their lives are emphatically segregated along lines of class, race, gender, and age. Dialogic learning helps to transgress these social divisions, as it involves multiple perspectives existing simultaneously, as people are forced to consider and reflect on these different positions, including their own and those of others. This form of learning and reflection may subsequently catalyze personal transformation. Despite these benefits, qualitative research indicates that interpersonal interactions between South African youth and adults, such as teachers and parents, do not contain a great dialogue through which different parties interact verbally.