Education as Dialogue: Reinterpreting Bakhtin's Thought in Pedagogy

Abstract

This article aims to reinterpret Mikhail Bakhtin’s core ideas on language, dialogue, and polyphony to explore their capacity to redefine education in the contemporary world. The study is a narrative-conceptual review conducted through descriptive analytical methodology. The sources include Bakhtin’s original works, critical interpretations of his theories, and applied studies in the field of education published between 2000 and 2025. The analysis was structured around interpreting key concepts within educational contexts. The findings reveal that concepts such as dialogism, polyphony, answerability, and carnivalization provide a robust theoretical and practical foundation for transforming educational systems. These notions reconceptualize classroom power structures and shift the roles of teachers and students from authority and passivity toward participatory, creative, and ethical relationships. The study also demonstrates the applicability of dialogic approaches to both teaching and assessment, particularly in language and humanities education. The article concludes that Bakhtin’s theoretical framework holds significant potential for renewing contemporary education. By moving beyond traditional and hierarchical models, it offers a pedagogical paradigm rooted in interaction, diversity, and the co-construction of meaning.