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Cambridge Language Sciences

Interdisciplinary Research Centre
 

Professor Neil Mercer

Research

My research interests include the role of spoken language in the development of children's reasoning and learning, methodologies for the analysis of classroom talk, language genres as cultural and psychological tools and the educational implications of language variation. In 2019 I was given the Oeuvre Award for outstanding contributions to educational research by the European Association for Research into Learning and Instruction. In 2021, I was the recipient of the John Nisbet Award from the British Educational Research Association in recognition of outstanding contributions to educational research.

Publications (from Symplectic)

Book chapters

2020

  • Hofmann, R., 2020. DIALOGUE, TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    • 2018 (Published online)

  • Dudley, PJ., Warwick, P., Vrikki, M., Vermunt, J. and Mercer, N., 2018 (Published online). Implementing a new mathematics curriculum in the UK: Lesson Study as a driver for professional dialogue and teacher learning

    • 2017

  • Vermunt, JD., Vrikki, M., Warwick, P. and Mercer, N., 2017. Connecting teacher identity formation to patterns in teacher learning

    • 2014

  • Taber, KS., Mercer, N., Ruthven, K., Riga, F., Howe, C., Hofmann, R. and Luthman, S., 2014. Developing a research-informed teaching module for learning about electrical circuits at lower secondary school level: Supporting personal learning about science and the nature of science
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6375-6.ch006
    •

    2013

  • Whitebread, DG., 2013. Self-regulation in Young Children: its Characteristics and the Role of Communication and Language in its early development

    • 2012

  • Mercer, N., 2012. Commentary: The future development of research on classroom talk
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-864-3_6
    •
  • Howe, C. and Mercer, N., 2012. Children’s social development, peer interaction and classroom learning
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203121672
    •

    2011

  • Littleton, K. and Mercer, N., 2011. Communication, collaboration, and creativity: How musicians negotiate a collective 'sound'
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568086.003.0015
    •

    2010

  • Mercer, NM., Gillen, J., Kleine Staarman, J., Littleton, K. and Twiner, A., 2010. Interactive Whiteboards: does new technology transform teaching?
  • Mercer, NM., 2010. The guided construction of knowledge: talk between teachers and students.
  • Littleton, K. and Mercer, NM., 2010. The significance of educational dialogues between primary school children.
  • Edwards, D. and Mercer, NM., 2010. Extracts from Common Knowledge: the development of understanding in the classroom.

    • 2009

  • Mercer, NM. and Howe, C., 2009. Children’s social development, peer interaction and classroom learning.
  • Mercer, NM., 2009. Developing argumentation: lessons learned in the primary school.
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-98125-3_7
    •
  • Mercer, NM., Littleton, K. and Wegerif, R., 2009. Methods for studying the processes of interaction and collaborative activity in computer-based educational activities.
  • Wegerif, R., 2009. Dialogue and teaching thinking with technology: Opening, expanding and deepening the 'inter-face'
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203863510
    •

    2008

  • Mercer, NM. and Dawes, L., 2008. the value of Exploratory Talk.
    • Datasets

    2019 (No publication date)

  • Hennessy, S., Howe, C., Mercer, N., Vrikki, M. and Wheatley, L., 2019 (No publication date). Transcripts of lessons in core subjects in primary classrooms in England
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.39601
    •
    Journal articles

    2019

  • Vrikki, M., Wheatley, L., Howe, C., Hennessy, S. and Mercer, N., 2019. Dialogic practices in primary school classrooms Language and Education, v. 33
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2018.1509988
    •

    2017 (Accepted for publication)

  • Mercer, N., Hennessy, S. and Warwick, P., 2017 (Accepted for publication). Dialogue, Thinking Together and Digital Technology in the Classroom: Some Educational Implications of a Continuing Line of Inquiry International Journal of Educational Research,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2017.08.007
    •

    2017

  • Ruthven, K., Mercer, N., Taber, KS., Guardia, P., Hofmann, R., Ilie, S., Luthman, S. and Riga, F., 2017. A research-informed dialogic-teaching approach to early secondary school mathematics and science: the pedagogical design and field trial of the epiSTEMe intervention Research Papers in Education, v. 32
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2015.1129642
    •
  • Vrikki, M., Warwick, P., Vermunt, JD., Mercer, N. and Van Halem, N., 2017. Teacher learning in the context of Lesson Study: A video-based analysis of teacher discussions Teaching and Teacher Education, v. 61
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.10.014
    •
  • Warwick, PT. and Mercer, N., 2017. Identifying and assessing students' spoken language skills. Impact, Issue 1. Chartered College of Teaching UK,
    •

    2016

  • Perez-Adamson, C. and Mercer, N., 2016. How do different types of schools prepare students for life at Cambridge? Cambridge Journal of Education, v. 46
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2015.1009364
    •
  • Hofmann, R. and Mercer, N., 2016. Teacher interventions in small group work in secondary mathematics and science lessons Language and Education, v. 30
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2015.1125363
    •
  • Mannion, J. and Mercer, N., 2016. Learning to learn: improving attainment, closing the gap at Key Stage 3 Curriculum Journal, v. 27
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2015.1137778
    •
  • Warwick, P., Vrikki, M., Vermunt, JD., Mercer, N. and van Halem, N., 2016. Connecting observations of student and teacher learning: an examination of dialogic processes in Lesson Study discussions in mathematics ZDM - Mathematics Education, v. 48
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0750-z
    •
  • Hofmann, RJ., Hennessy, S., Rojas-Drummond, S., Barrera, MJ., García Carrión, R., Howe, C., Kershner,, R., Littleton, K., Marquez, AM. and Mercer, N., 2016. Developing a coding scheme for analysing classroom dialogue across d educational contexts. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, v. 9
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2015.12.001
    •

    2015

  • Howe, C., Luthman, S., Ruthven, K., Mercer, N., Hofmann, R., Ilie, S. and Guardia, P., 2015. Rational number and proportional reasoning in early secondary school: towards principled improvement in mathematics Research in Mathematics Education, v. 17
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2015.1019914
    •
  • Knight, S. and Mercer, N., 2015. The role of exploratory talk in classroom search engine tasks Technology, Pedagogy and Education, v. 24
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2014.931884
    •
  • Howe, C., Ilie, S., Guardia, P., Hofmann, R., Mercer, N. and Riga, F., 2015. Principled Improvement in Science: Forces and proportional relations in early secondary–school teaching International Journal of Science Education, v. 37
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.975168
    •
  • Mercer, N., 2015. Re/structuring science education: re-uniting sociological and psychological perspectives STUDIES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION, v. 51
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2014.889894
    •

    2014

  • Knight, S. and Mercer, N., 2014. The role of exploratory talk in classroom search engine tasks Technology, Pedagogy and Education,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2014.931884
    •
  • Cheng, B., Wang, M. and Mercer, N., 2014. Effects of role assignment in concept mapping mediated small group learning Internet and Higher Education, v. 23
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2014.06.001
    •
  • Mercer, N. and Dawes, L., 2014. The study of talk between teachers and students, from the 1970s until the 2010s Oxford Review of Education, v. 40
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2014.934087
    •
  • Kershner, R., Warwick, P., Mercer, N. and Kleine Staarman, J., 2014. Primary children's management of themselves and others in collaborative group work: 'Sometimes it takes patience...' Education 3-13, v. 42
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2012.670255
    •

    2013

  • Warwick, P., Mercer, N. and Kershner, R., 2013. 'Wait, let's just think about this': Using the interactive whiteboard and talk rules to scaffold learning for co-regulation in collaborative science activities Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, v. 2
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2012.12.004
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2013. The social brain, language and goal-orientated collective thinking: a social conception of cognition and its implications for understanding how we think, teach and learn Educational Psychologist,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2013.804394
    •

    2012

  • Mercer, N. and Howe, C., 2012. Explaining the dialogic processes of teaching and learning: The value and potential of sociocultural theory Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2012.03.001
    •
  • Daniels, H., Edwards, A., Mercer, N. and Saljo, R., 2012. Untitled LEARNING CULTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2012.05.002
    •

    2011 (No publication date)

  • Mercer, NM. and Dawes, L., 2011 (No publication date). Making most of talk. English Drama Media,
    •

    2011

  • Soong, B. and Mercer, N., 2011. Improving students' revision of physics concepts through ICT-based co-construction and prescriptive tutoring International Journal of Science Education, v. 33
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2010.489586
    •
  • Hennessy, S., Mercer, N. and Warwick, P., 2011. A Dialogic Inquiry Approach to Working With Teachers in Developing Classroom Dialogue TEACH COLL REC, v. 113
    •
  • Warwick, P., Hennessy, S. and Mercer, N., 2011. Promoting teacher and school development through co-enquiry: Developing interactive whiteboard use in a 'dialogic classroom' Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, v. 17
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.554704
    •

    2010

  • Soong, B., Mercer, NM. and Siew, SE., 2010. Revision by means of computer-mediated peer discussions. Physics Education, v. 45
    •
  • Simpson, A., Mercer, N. and Majors, Y., 2010. Editorial: Douglas Barnes revisited: If learning floats on a sea of talk, what kind of talk? And what kind of learning? ENGL TEACH-PRACT CRI, v. 9
    •
  • Mercer, N., Hennessy, S. and Warwick, P., 2010. Using interactive whiteboards to orchestrate classroom dialogue Technology, Pedagogy and Education, v. 19
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2010.491230
    •
  • Kershner, R., Mercer, N., Warwick, P. and Staarman, JK., 2010. Can the interactive whiteboard support young children's collaborative communication and thinking in classroom science activities? INT J COMP-SUPP COLL, v. 5
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-010-9096-2
    •
  • Mercer, N., Warwick, P., Kershner, R. and Staarman, JK., 2010. Can the interactive whiteboard help to provide 'dialogic space' for children's collaborative activity? LANG EDUC-UK, v. 24
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/09500781003642460
    •
  • Warwick, P., Mercer, N., Kershner, R. and Staarman, JK., 2010. In the mind and in the technology: The vicarious presence of the teacher in pupil's learning of science in collaborative group activity at the interactive whiteboard COMPUT EDUC, v. 55
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.02.001
    •

    2009

  • Soong, B., Mercer, N. and Er, SS., 2009. Students' difficulties when solving physics problems: Results from an ICT-infused revision intervention Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computers in Education, ICCE 2009,
    •
  • Mercer, N., 2009. Developing argumentation: Lessons learned in the primary school
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-98125-3_7
    •
  • Mercer, NM., Dawes, L. and Staarman, JK., 2009. Dialogic teaching in the primary science classroom. Language and Education, v. 23
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2009. The analysis of classroom talk: methods and methodologies. British Journal of Educational Psychology, v. 80
    •

    2008

  • Mercer, N., 2008. Changing our minds: a commentary on 'Conceptual change: a discussion of theoretical, methodological and practical challenges for science education' Cultural Studies of Science Education,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-008-9099-8
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2008. The seeds of time: why classroom dialogue needs a temporal analysis. Journal of the Learning Sciences, v. 17
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2008. Talk and the development of reasoning and understanding. Human Development, v. 51
    •
  • Gillen, J., Littleton, K., Twiner, A., Staarman, JK. and Mercer, N., 2008. Using the interactive whiteboard to resource continuity and support multimodal teaching in a primary science classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, v. 24
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2008. Classroom dialogue and the teacher's role. Education Review, v. 21
    •

    2007

  • Mercer, N., 2007. Commentary on the reconciliation of cognitive and sociocultural accounts of conceptual change EDUC PSYCHOL, v. 42
    •
  • Gillen, J., Staarman, JK., Littleton, K., Mercer, N. and Twiner, A., 2007. A 'learning revolution'? Investigating pedagogic practice around interactive whiteboards in British primary classrooms Learning, Media and Technology, v. 32
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/17439880701511099
    •
  • Mercer, N., 2007. The joint construction identities and knowledge in a science classroom Cultural Studies of Science Education, v. 2
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-007-9051-3
    •

    2006

  • Mercer, N. and Sams, C., 2006. Teaching children how to use language to solve maths problems Language and Education, v. 20
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.2167/le678.0
    •

    2004

  • Mercer, NM., 2004. Sociocultural discourse analysis: analysing classroom talk as a social mode of thinking Journal of Applied Linguistics, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1558/japl.2004.1.2.137
    •
  • Mercer, NM., 2004. Reasoning as a scientist: ways of helping children to use language to learn science British Educational Research Journal, v. 30
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/01411920410001689689
    •
    Conference proceedings

    2018 (No publication date)

  • Hofmann, RJ. and Mercer, N., 2018 (No publication date). Teacher interventions in small group work in secondary mathematics and science lessons.
  • Hofmann, RJ. and Mercer, N., 2018 (No publication date). Teacher interventions in small group work

    • 2015 (Accepted for publication)

  • Vrikki, M., Vermun, JD., Warwick, P., Mercer, N. and Van Halem, N., 2015 (Accepted for publication). How teachers learn in Lesson Study: Results of Cambridge research into teachers learning through talk.

    • 2011

  • Ruthven, K., Hofmann, RJ., Howe, C., Luthman, S., Mercer, N. and Taber, KS., 2011. The epiSTEMe pedagogical approach: essentials, rationales and challenges
  • Ruthven, K., Hofmann, R. and Mercer, N., 2011. A DIALOGIC APPROACH TO PLENARY PROBLEM SYNTHESIS PROCEEDINGS OF THE 35TH CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL GROUP FOR PSYCHOLOGY OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, VOL. 4: DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL THINKING,
    •

    2010

  • Ruthven, K., Howe, C., Mercer, N., Taber, KS., Luthman, S., Hofmann, RJ. and Riga, F., 2010. Effecting Principled Improvement in STEM Education: Research-based pedagogical development for student engagement and learning in early secondary-school physical science and mathematics
    • Books

    2013

  • Whitebread, D., Mercer, N., Howe, C. and Tolmie, A., 2013. Self-regulation and Dialogue in Primary Classrooms. British Journal of Educational Psychology. Monograph Series II: Psychological Aspects of Education - Current Trends No. 10
  • Littleton, K. and Mercer, NM., 2013. Interthinking: Putting talk to work

    • 2010

  • Mercer, N., 2010. Foreword
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-715-2
    •

    2008

  • Mercer, N., 2008. Exploring talk in schools
  • Hodgkinson, S. and Mercer, N., 2008. Introduction
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4135/9781446279526
    •

    2007

  • Mercer, N. and Littleton, K., 2007. Dialogue and the development of children's thinking
  • Mercer, N. and Littleton, K., 2007. Dialogue and the development of children's thinking: A sociocultural approach
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203946657
    •
    Emeritus Professor of Education
    Director, Oracy Cambridge: the Hughes Hall Centre for Effective Spoken Communication
    Departments and institutes: 
    Faculty of Education
    Hughes Hall
    Professor Neil Mercer

    Contact Details

    Email address: 
    nmm31@cam.ac.uk
    (+44) (0)1223 767592
    Oracy Cambridge
    Hughes Hall: Neil Mercer profile

    Affiliations

    Classifications: 
    Academic Staff

    Study at Cambridge

    About the University

    Research at Cambridge