Metalogue: towards a reflective methodological framework

This paper introduces Metalogue as a research methodology, rooted in metacognitive reflections coined by Dewey (1933) and Schon (1983). Metalogue enriches research through systematic reflection but lacks methodological rigor in its current applications. The paper aims to: explore Metalogue as a reflective methodological approach with a theoretical foundation and map its application in existing literature through a systematic review . The first objective discusses Metalogue as a systematic metacognitive reflective process, drawing on Dewey and Schön’s concepts. The second objective employs a systematic review to examine Metalogue’s use as a methodology in research. This theoretical and practical examination proposes Metalogue as a reflective methodology for educational research. The theoretical results indicate that Dewey and Schön’s notions of reflective practice, when combined with Bateson’s (1972) approach to Metalogue, can produce a metacognitive reflective process. The mapping reveals that Metalogue has been used as a research methodology since 2007, typically involving metalevel dialogue among humans, except for one study involving both human and machine systems. Metalogue, consisting of two layers, reflection-on-experience and reflection-on-discourse, facilitates systematic, iterative reflections on teaching, learning, and research. This underscores the importance of systematic reflective practice and proposes Metalogue as a research methodology grounded in Dewey and Schön’s theoretical notions.