Dialogic literary gatherings: a strategy for developing critical and argumentative thinking

Abstract

This pedagogical reflection article analyzes the value of dialogic literary gatherings as an educational strategy to foster critical thinking, argumentative skills, and the development of independent judgment among secondary school students. Adolescence is considered a relevant stage for developing cognitive, social, and communicative skills that enable students to question, interpret, and construct personal positions regarding situations in their environment. From this perspective, reading is understood not merely as a process of decoding words, but as a formative experience that gains meaning through dialogue and shared analysis. Drawing on the principles of dialogic learning, dialogic reading, and critical pedagogy, the article examines how literary gatherings can create spaces for participation, active listening, argumentation, and respect for different viewpoints. It also analyzes the teacher’s role as a mediator responsible for creating trusting environments where students can express their ideas without fear of making mistakes. Challenges to implementation are also considered, including traditional teaching practices, time constraints, students’ insecurity about participating, and the need to strengthen teacher training. Dialogic literary gatherings are presented as a pedagogical alternative for enhancing reading comprehension, oral expression, argumentation, participation, and school coexistence. Finally, the article argues that promoting educational spaces based on dialogue and reflection contributes to a more humanistic and democratic education, in which students develop tools to interpret their reality, listen to others, and construct their own judgments through interaction and collective analysis.