Reciprocal Teaching is an active learning approach in which students collaboratively construct understanding through structured dialogue rather than passively receiving information. First introduced by Palincsar and Brown (1984), the approach engages learners in four core strategies—predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing—which are practiced through guided discussion. The teacher initially models these strategies and then gradually transfers responsibility to students, supporting learner agency and metacognitive awareness.

An example of this is when students analyze a short public policy text in small groups. Each student assumes a role (predictor, questioner, clarifier, or summarizer) and leads part of the discussion. Roles rotate with each new text. This structure encourages students to actively interpret content, question assumptions, and build shared understanding rather than simply answering teacher-led questions.

Reciprocal teaching is active because students generate questions, explain ideas in their own words, and monitor comprehension in real time. Learning becomes a social process of meaning-making, aligning with contemporary views of pedagogy that emphasize participation, dialogue, and reflection rather than transmission (Cope & Kalantzis, 2017).