'Being the Teacher': identity and classroom conversation

Recent debate on the standard classroom Initiation–Response–Follow-up pattern has focused particular attention on the final move and the contribution it can make to productive interaction in teacher-fronted situations. This paper suggests that current research in this area has tended to exaggerate the pedagogic impact of changes based on specifiable discourse moves, proposing instead an approach to analysis which takes account of the dynamic nature of identity construction and its relationship to the development of ongoing talk. It challenges the view that the concept of classroom conversation is inherently contradictory and, drawing on the work of Zimmerman (1998) related to the broader field of Membership Categorization Analysis, demonstrates how shifts in the orientation to different aspects of identity produce distinctively different interactional patterns in teacher-fronted talk. Using Zimmerman's distinction between discourse, situated and transportable identities in talk, extracts from classroom exchanges from different educational contexts are analysed as the basis for claiming that conversation involving teacher and students in the classroom is indeed possible. The paper concludes with a discussion of the pedagogical implications of this

Culturally responsive teacher actions to support Pāsifika students in mathematical discourse : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This study examines culturally responsive teaching to support a group of Pāsifika students aged 11-13 years old in mathematical discourse. It builds on previous work which has advocated culturally responsive practices where students learn mathematics through collaborative interaction that fosters greater student participation, engagement, and potentially better achievement in mathematics. In this study, the teacher’s actions drew on Pāsifika cultural practices and the value of the family, respect, and collectivism. This was significant in the establishment of social and mathematical behaviours which were important in supporting the development of productive mathematical discourse. In addition, the communicative and participation structures within the classroom that lead to mathematics learning are also considered. This study was situated in an inquiry classroom. A socio-cultural perspective provided the framework for analysing the classroom context. A case study approach drawing on a qualitative design was implemented. Data was collected through teacher and student interviews, classroom audio and video-recorded observations, and students’ written work. Detailed retrospective analysis of the data was undertaken to develop the findings of this classroom case study. Significant changes were revealed in the shifts of student discourse from long silences and hesitation to asking valid questions and developing mathematical justification with appropriate language and specific terms. The explicit instructional practices developed and implemented by the teacher fostered greater collaborative communication and interaction between group members and this was important in how they made mathematical meaning. The findings provide insights into the multi-dimensional ways that teachers can draw on students’ cultural strengths, values, and practices as invaluable resources which potentially will make a difference in students’ mathematical learning

Personal style and epistemic stance in classroom discussion

This article reports on an analysis of stance-taking in the university classroom, examining how students position themselves in relation to academic knowledge through the epistemic phrases I don’t know and I think. Analysis of specific interactional moments reveals that the meaning of discourse forms is largely indeterminate without an understanding of (1) the immediate discourse context; (2) the place of linguistic forms in an individual’s stylistic repertoire; and (3) the ideologies and social categories that frame that stylistic repertoire. Differential knowledge distribution amongst the students places constraints on what certain individuals can do with particular linguistic forms and this analysis reveals how they utilize the same linguistic resources in different ways in order to do different identity work. Through detailed interactional analysis, I demonstrate that our ability to evaluate classroom discussion as a social practice relies upon our ability to situate that practice within an understanding of individual speakers’ personal styles and the social ideologies that frame them

Exploring teachers’ and learners’ overlapped turns in the language classroom: Implications for classroom interactional competence

The language choices that teachers make in the language classroom have been found to influence the opportunities for learning given to learners (Seedhouse, 2004; Walsh, 2012; Waring, 2009, 2011). The present study expands on research addressing learner-initiated contributions (Garton, 2012; Jacknick, 2011; Waring, Reddington, & Tadic, 2016; Yataganbaba & Yıldırım, 2016) by demonstrating that opportunities for participation and learning can be promoted when teachers allow learners to expand and finish their overlapped turns. Audio recordings of lessons portraying language classroom interaction from three teachers in an adult foreign language classroom (EFL) setting were analyzed and discussed through conversation analysis (CA) methodology. Findings suggest that when teachers are able to navigate overlapping talk in such a way that provides interactional space for learners to complete their contributions, they demonstrate classroom interactional competence (Sert, 2015; Walsh, 2006). The present study contributes to the literature by addressing interactional features that increase interactional space, and an approach to teacher and learner talk that highlights CA’s methodological advantages in capturing the interactional nuances of classroom discourse

Closing in on the picture : analyzing interactions in video recordings

This paper provides a detailed account of the processing and analysing of data, obtained through video recording during reflective practitioner research. It sets out five stages in the analysis of video recordings of classroom interactions during a series of educational drama lessons: from decisions relating to the selection of data for close analysis, to the seeking of themes, and finally to the presentation of conclusions. The researcher adapted and synthesised several processes derived from discourse analysis (Wells, 2001; Spiers, 2004; Gee, 2005) to produce a range of instruments for use in transcription and analysis of verbal and non-verbal discourse. These include: a simple transcription key; classifications for verbal and non-verbal discourse; and a template for a transcription and analysis matrix

Cooperative Learning in the Mathematics Classroom: Work Together, Learn Together

In this action research project of Academy students in Algebra 1 Track 3, I incorporated group work after some lessons and not after others which compared whether the use of group work post the lectures has an effect on their understanding. Through the research, I analyzed the effects of this increased student discourse in regards to the cooperative learning in the classroom. After the research, from clear analysis, it was evident that cooperative learning is effective in the classroom and raises the grades of students. The grades on tests and quizzes are much higher when the students work together in comparison to individual work. Therefore, through this project, I demonstrated the positive effect of group work on the students’ grades, which I previously questioned. Throughout my student teaching, I noticed that students work together at the end of class very often. Hence, I wanted to see if the time that they were using to work was beneficial. Thus, I decided to incorporate structured group work into my lessons, and take some action in researching it’s effectiveness in the classroom. In this action research project, the benefits of cooperative learning are discussed, analyzed, and illustrated along with the potential disadvantages

Bringing discourse analysis into the language classroom

The aim of this article is to argue in favour of adopting the point of view of discourse analysis in order to describe and explain how language is actually used. After pointing out that discourse should not be considered as one more level in the description of language but rather as a change of perspective, the author proposes three premises which must be assumed in order to bring discourse analysis into the classroom. In the central part of the article the author suggests and exemplifies a series of concepts from discourse analysis which can be easily introduced in order to enable learners to reflect upon discourse and communication. The last section in the article includes specific guidelines for designing a language syllabus based on a discourse approach to language use

Teacher Talk: The Structure of Vocabulary and Grammar Explanations

Current research addresses the relationship between the language available to learners in language classrooms and its affect on language acquisition. Different types of classroom activities can be expected to affect the classroom discourse. For example, the interaction between teacher and students when doing a language drill is expected to be different from the interaction that takes place when the teacher is giving a lecture or assisting students with homework. Based on Long's (1981) findings that the degree of adjustment made in foreigner talk (FT) is related to the nature of the task performed, task type was considered an important factor in the analysis of classroom discourse. The work presented here provides a description and characterization of teacher talk (TT) in two different classroom activities: grammar and vocabulary explanations. Vocabulary and grammar explanations both involve the expression and explanation of information to facilitate comprehension by the students. These were selected for analysis because they are believed to be typical of a commonly occurring type of teacher talk