A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Productive Peer Talk Moves

Abstract

<p> <span>Productive peer interactions are often characterized by productive peer talk moves. This study aims to synthesize an empirical list of productive peer talk moves from existing studies, quantify the efficacy of talk moves in promoting peer interaction and collaboration outcomes, and understand the preconditions of talk moves benefits in authentic settings. A total of 24 empirical studies were included in the systematic review, where 17 of the experimental studies (k = 39, n = 2636) were analyzed in meta-synthesis. The study offers three main contributions: (1) an ordered list of 24 productive peer talk moves extracted from a range of empirical studies; (2) the aggregate sizes of the positive effects that productive peer talk moves have on interaction quality (Hedges’ g = 1.27), domain-specific knowledge (g = 0.96), domain-general knowledge (g = 1.02), and solution quality (g = 0.70); and (3) common explanations for the malfunction of productive peer talk moves in existing interventions. This review confirms the robust positive effects of productive peer talk moves on peer interaction, learning, and problem-solving, and may inform future research on the analysis of peer interaction or the design of peer talk scaffolds. </span> <br></p>