Contemporary researchers have analysed dialogue primarily in terms of instruction, conversation or inquiry. There is an irreducible tension when the terms 'dialogue' and 'instruction' are brought together, because the former implies an emergent process of give-and-take, whereas the latter implies a sequence of predetermined moves. It is argued that effective teachers have learned how to perform in this contradictory space to both follow and lead, to be both responsive and directive, to require both independence and receptiveness from learners. Instructional dialogue, therefore, is an artful performance rather than a prescribed technique. Dialogues also may be structured as conversations which function to build consensus, conformity to everyday ritualistic practices, and a sense of community. The dark side of the dialogic 'we' and the community formed around 'our' and 'us' is the inevitable boundary that excludes 'them' and 'theirs'. When dialogues are structured to build consensus and community, critical reflection on the bases of that consensus is required and vigilance to ensure that difference and diversity are not being excluded or assimilated (see Renshaw, 2002). Again it is argued that there is an irreducible tension here because understanding and appreciating diversity can be achieved only through engagement and living together in communities. Teachers who work to create such communities in their classrooms need to balance the need for common practices with the space to be different, resistant or challenging - again an artful performance that is difficult to articulate in terms of specific teaching techniques.

Introduction Dialogic teaching, learning and instruction: Theoretical roots and analytical frameworks; Peter D. Renshaw Part I: Dialogic Learning: Culture And Identity Dialogic learning in the multi-ethnic classroom: Cultural resources and modes of collaboration; Ed Elbers and MariÄtte de Haan Third space in cyberspace: Indigenous youth, new technologies and literacies; Cushla Kapitzke and Peter D. RenshawMaking sense through participation: Social differences in learning and identity development; Geert ten Dam, Monique Volman and Wim WardekkerDiverse voices, dialogue and intercultural learning in a second language classroom; Elizabeth Hirst and Peter D. RenshawLearning to plan: A study of reflexivity and discipline in modern pedagogy; Kerstin Bergqvist and Roger Säljö Part II: Dialogic Learning: Multiple Perspectives On The Social Construction Of Knowledge Studying peer interaction from three perspectives: The example of collaborative concept learning; Carla van Boxtel Working together on assignments: Multiple analysis of learning events; Rijkje Dekker, Marianne Elshout-Mohr and Terry WoodOn participating in communities of practice: Cases from science classrooms; Sinikka Kaartinen and Kristiina Kumpulainen Dynamics of coordination in collaboration; Gijsbert Erkens The social regulation of cognition: From colour identification in the Stroop Task to classroom performances; Pascal Hugliet, Jean-Marc Monteil and Florence Dumas Shared and unshared knowledge resources: The collaborative analysis of a classroom case by pre-service teachers; Angela M. O¿Donnell Epilogue Notes on classroom practices, dialogicality, and the transformation of learning; Roger SäljöIndex