Research School Network: The path to self-talk: bridging the gap between teacher and learner How can we develop independence in our pupils through the gradual release of responsibility?
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The path to self-talk: bridging the gap between teacher and learner
How can we develop independence in our pupils through the gradual release of responsibility?
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by Blackpool Research School
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The clock on the classroom wall ticked relentlessly. Mr Harrison knew that if he carefully structured time for his Year 10s to discuss the text, their insights could bloom. But with assessment deadlines looming and the lunch bell approaching, the pressure to move straight into independent practice proved too great.
We can all relate to Mr Harrison’s dilemma. Curriculum pressures, assessment deadlines, and the often exhausting pace of the school calendar can conspire to lead us onto a path which leads away from the research evidence.
But talk is a powerful tool for learning and literacy, which appears to be particularly beneficial for low prior-attaining students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds (EEF, 2018). This includes self-talk: pupils’ internal dialogue used to plan, monitor, and reflect on their thinking processes (EEF, 2025).
We know that these skills need developing and shaping through practice if they are to become habitual and support learners to become more independent.
So what might this look like in the classroom?
The path to self talk
It is likely that many pupils will need support to independently use self-talk. This support can be thought of as a path working towards self-talk in which we gradually release responsibility from teacher to learner.
The graphic below, taken from the EEF’s Metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report, illustrates what this might look like.
Let’s step inside the classroom of an Early Career Teacher in a Blackpool secondary school. The school, St Mary’s Catholic Academy, has a much higher than national average proportion of students eligible for free school meals, and serves families from 7 of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in the country.
The Year 10 pupils in this classroom are learning how to analyse language by commenting on how writers use language to make an impression on the reader.
Self-talk is demonstrated by teachers ‘thinking aloud’ The teacher begins by analysing a piece of writing which is placed under the visualiser. She skilfully links this to the pupils’ prior learning, and focuses not just on what she is doing but on why she is doing it, annotating the text as she goes. This makes the invisible visible, meaning the class become much more aware of how an expert approaches the task.
Pupils are supported to use self-talk when they ‘think aloud’ The teacher then moves into a well-established and rehearsed ‘talk partners’ strategy. Pupils work with their talk partner on analysing two more pieces of text, supported by the model that the teacher has left on the screen. This is carefully monitored by the teacher who circulates the room and takes genuine interest in pupils’ discussions.
Pupils are supported by scaffolds to use self-talk in independent tasks Pupils then move into a silent independent task in which they analyse a further piece of writing. While they no longer have the direct support of the teacher or their talk partner, the teacher has left her model on the screen and added a series of prompts to the whiteboard to support pupils in their thinking. Looking around the room, it is clear that not all pupils are using these prompts as they have already internalised the process of analysis, but they do provide support for those who need it.
This is just one example. It is worth considering what supports you put in place in your phase or subject in order to smooth the path to self-talk and to bridge the gap between teacher and learner.
