促进学生有效参与的教师话语策略:一项质的研究

学生参与教学最基本的形式和场域是课堂,而课堂话语是课堂教学活动的载体,是课堂上教师和学生互动交流的媒介.教师话语可能促进、也可能阻碍学生的课堂参与.本研究将运用质性研究方法,以小学阶段的英语学科为背景,以真实课堂教学中的教师和学生话语为切入点,分析课堂师生互动的话语交流语段,旨在探询教师的哪些课堂话语策略有利于促进学生的话语参与.     

Navigating the complex cognitive task of classroom assessment

We investigated how a fifth-grade literacy teacher with classroom assessment expertise integrated assessment into his teaching practice. We employed a qualitative case study methodology to examine and document the processes this teacher used to make instructional decisions informed by classroom assessment events. We identified a repertoire of assessment relevant management routines and interpretation strategies that supported his assessment practice and instructional decision-making. Findings can be used to inform policy and organize content for teacher education by identifying a repertoire of potential management routines and interpretation strategies for engaging in classroom assessment and documenting how to enact these practices.     

Reflective states associated with creating inquiry‐based mathematical discourse

A secondary school mathematics teacher and mathematics education researcher engaged in a collaborative professional development experience that focused the teacher’s reflection on videotapes of his instruction. The purpose was to document and explore the teacher’s experiences with respect to his reflections and classroom practice while trying to create inquiry‐based mathematical discourse. Data included videotaped classroom observations, audiotaped interviews, and audiotaped focused reflection sessions. Analysis of the data revealed that over the course of the semester‐long collaboration the teacher exhibited, at various times, four different reflective states (‘explain but not question’, ‘question but not explain’, ‘question and explore’, and ‘exploring’). The identification of these reflective states suggests a more complex relationship between reflection and changing teachers’ practice than previously thought. The results of this article suggest that the interaction of teachers’ reflective activities and reflective states contribute to various kinds of teacher change in the classroom.     

Teaching for understanding: Exemplary practice in high school chemistry

The study is a component of a larger investigation that focused on exemplary practice in science and mathematics education. This case study involved an investigation of two chemistry teachers in high schools in Perth, Western Australia. The study utilized an interpretive methodology in which the questions emerged from intensive observations of chemistry lessons in classes taught by the two teachers. The principal finding was that the two teachers focused on teaching for understanding. One teacher tended to emphasize whole-class activities while the other utilized more small-group and individualized activities. The teachers were successful in their goal of teaching for understanding because they were effective classroom managers and they had strong science content knowledge that enabled them to focus on instructional strategies that facilitated student understanding. They asked appropriate questions, responded to student questions, and used effective cognitive monitoring strategies. The teachers were able to teach effectively because they had adequate content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.     

Dichotomy in thinking,dilemma in actions: Researcher and teacher perspectives on a chemistry teaching practice

This article is a case study of the thinking and actions of Mr. Corrigan, an experienced high school chemistry teacher. We explored Corrigan's ideas on teaching science by conducting two types of interviews, and wrote a case summary for Corrigan to read that compared his ideas with our classroom observations. We described his practice as centering on structured classroom and laboratory time, and contrasted it with his emphasis on students' exploratory thinking in the interviews. Corrigan's reflections on the case summary revealed a set of tacit conceptions of teaching science centered on the necessity of having a highly organized classroom and laboratory to ensure students' content understanding and success on tests and in college. We felt Corrigan faced a dilemma in that he values both his control of learning activities and the students' learning through exploration. Corrigan was confident in his practice and did not see much of a dilemma, and felt he was attending to both aspects of his thinking in an adequate fashion. Corrigan's reflections on the case summary are presented as a commentary on our perspective of the relationship between his thinking and actions. Working with Corrigan revealed to us the complexity of characterizing a teacher's thinking and its relationship to actions, and the value of the insight researchers gain from discussing their conclusions with the teacher. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 239–254, 1997.     

The discourse of classroom interaction in Kenyan primary schools

This paper addresses the role of classroom discourse in supporting children’s learning in Kenyan primary schools. The discourse strategies of 27 teachers teaching English, mathematics and science across the primary phase were intensively studied using discourse analysis and semi‐structured interviews. A survey questionnaire (n?=?359) was also used to explore teacher perceptions of classroom discourse practices. The findings revealed the dominance of teacher‐led recitation in which rote and repetition dominated the classroom discourse with little attention being paid to securing pupil understanding. The wider implications of the findings for improving the quality of classroom discourse in Kenyan primary schools are considered together with the need for further research into how the wider social order is influencing discourse practices in Kenyan primary schools.     

The impact of embedding multiple modes of representation within writing tasks on high school students’ chemistry understanding

This study investigated the impact on chemistry learning of the degree to which students embedded or integrated multiple modes of representation in end of unit writing-to-learn activities. A multi-case study approach utilizing quasi-experimental methodology involving intact high school chemistry classes taught by two different teachers was employed. Approximately half of the classes for each teacher were designated treatment classes and students in these classes participated in specific classroom activities designed to encourage the use of strategies to embed multiple modes within text in student writing. Control classes did not participate in these activities. All classes with the same teacher participated in identical end of unit writing tasks followed by identical end of unit assessments. Writing tasks and end of unit assessments were teacher designed and were therefore unique to each setting. Data from each teacher was initially analyzed independently to explore characteristics of student writing and student performance on end of unit assessments. This was followed by cross case analysis. Analysis of quantitative data indicated that for the first teacher (n = 70 students), treatment classes significantly outperformed control classes on two different measures of writing characteristics during a first unit of study, two measures of writing for the second unit, and three categories of end of unit instruction for the second unit. For the second teacher (n = 95), treatment classes outperformed control classes on two writing characteristics and three end of unit assessment categories during the only unit of study assessed. In addition, at both sites, significant positive correlations were found between all writing characteristic measurements and end of unit assessment performance. These results not only support the use of multimodal writing-to-learn tasks as a pedagogical tool to improve chemistry learning, but specifically suggest benefit when multiple modes are effectively linked within these tasks.     

Significance of limited English proficiency and cultural capital to the performance in science of Chinese-Australians

This investigation of Chinese-Australian students and their learning of chemistry indicates that despite students' efforts to learn chemistry with understanding, difficulties in speaking and writing English were factors that limited performance. An hegemony based on the use of English to learn chemistry and assess performance placed students with limited English proficiency (LEP) in a position of potential failure. However, as might be expected of voluntary minorities, LEP Chinese students endeavored to use English to make sense of what happened in class and to demonstrate the extent to which they had learned chemistry. At the same time, they employed Cantonese in their oral and written discourse and exhibited high levels of commitment to learn, effort, and task orientation in and out of school. These practices were consistent with those expected by the teacher and that typically occurred in schools in their native Hong Kong. The study supports the assertions that learning chemistry can be facilitated when LEP students are provided opportunities to fully employ their native language tools and when the microculture of the classroom fits the macroculture of life outside the classroom. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Power Dynamics and Questioning in Elementary Science Classrooms

We describe the dynamic discourse interactions between a teacher and her students in a third-grade science classroom. We focused on how the teacher and students initiate, prompt, respond, and provide feedback; use questioning and power strategies; and how questions are associated with power dynamics. We relate the consequences of teacher use of power to the engagement of student with subject matter. Two classroom sessions were observed and teacher?Cstudent interactions audio recorded. Data were transcribed and a method was developed for analyzing teacher-student interactions, power dynamics, and types of questions asked. Results revealed that teacher talk was twice as frequent as students?? talk; questions were primarily closed-ended and task-oriented; and students asked few questions. The teacher exercised power by keeping activities organized and conventional, and utilizing subject matter. The developed methods showed us the complexity of question and power dynamics in classroom discourse and have implications for professional development and research.     

Investigating and theorizing discourse during analogy writing in chemistry

Explanations of the role of analogies in learning science at a cognitive level are made in terms of creating bridges between new information and students' prior knowledge. In this empirical study of learning with analogies in an 11th grade chemistry class, we explore an alternative explanation at the “social” level where analogy shapes classroom discourse. Students in the study developed analogies within small groups and with their teacher. These classroom interactions were monitored to identify changes in discourse that took place through these activities. Beginning from socio‐cultural perspectives and hybridity, we investigated classroom discourse during analogical activities. From our analyses, we theorized a merged discourse that explains how the analog discourse becomes intertwined with the target discourse generating a transitional state where meanings, signs, symbols, and practices are in flux. Three categories were developed that capture how students intertwined the analog and target discourses—merged words, merged utterances/sentences, and merged practices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 771–792, 2011     

Geography students as constructors of classroom knowledge and practice: a case study from Botswana

This study reports on the strategies (overt and subtle) employed by students in one senior secondary school in Botswana to keep their teachers in an information‐giving position. Contrary to the prevailing view that the ‘teacher dominance’ of classroom activities so often reported in classroom studies results from teachers' desire for social control, this study sees the dominance as a negotiated product, resulting instead from teachers and students exercising power on one another. Such a view of classroom practice is only possible where power is conceptualized not as a negative force that dominates, but as a productive force that simultaneously constrains and enables human action. Viewed this way, classroom reality becomes a co‐construction, a ‘joint project’ by teacher and students. Attempts to change this reality, therefore, must include both teacher and students.     

The multiple voices of a mathematics classroom community

Several mathematics educators have expressed their concern about conflicting visions of educational reform among parents and teachers, which could result in the emergence of multiple voices in discussions of achievement and instruction. The aim of this article is to examine the multiple voices of educational reform in the discourse of a third grade classroom community. In order to achieve our aim, we integrated the social and the individual as well as the past, present, and future in our analysis of the discourse in this classroom community using theoretical frameworks and methods from cultural psychology. Although our analyses focused on the classroom teacher, we employed units of analysis capable of bridging the individual and her social context. We began our analysis by focusing on a sample of whole-class discussions of students’ strategies for solving multi-digit word problems. This analysis isolated two distinct voices: one that occurred during discussions of students’ invented strategies and the other that emerged during talk about standard algorithms. We extended our analysis to include information about the historical, social, and institutional context of the classroom community in order to understand the origins and functions of these two voices. This additional information helped us appreciate the interconnections between the teacher’s personal feelings, beliefs, recollections, and expectations; and her interpersonal transactions with her students, their parents, and other educators. We concluded with a discussion of the implications of the study for understanding one of the dilemmas of educational reform and for advancing research in classroom discourse. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The meaning of student inquiry questions: A teacher's beliefs and responses

This research explores an American high school chemistry teacher's perspective on the meaning of student questions that originate from curiosity and engagement with subject matter. Ethnographic analysis of a teacher's reflective processes and decision-making approach suggests that questions hold contradictory meanings as powerful, conflicting pressures come to play in the everyday patterns of classroom discourse. Although thoughtful intellectual questions are valued as indicators of student attitudes and understandings, they nonetheless create an interruption to the normal flow of things. To the teacher, such interruptions pose threats to his control of classroom events and his ability to cover the content of his course. Although science educators might enthusiastically endorse the idea that classrooms should be characterized by a spirit of inquiry in which student questions are encouraged and respected, findings suggest that it can be difficult for this to happen in actual schools where particular teachers face specific institutional curricular pressures.     

‘I do not think I actually do it well’: a discourse analysis of Australian senior secondary teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards implementation of differentiated instruction

Differentiated instruction is a proactive teaching model and philosophy with demonstrated potential to cater for diverse learners and create inclusive classrooms. There is little research, however, into the implementation of this approach in the senior secondary classroom. Teachers’ implementation of differentiated instruction has been shown to be linked to teacher attitudes and self-efficacy in other settings. This study investigated the impact of teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards the implementation of differentiated instruction in the senior secondary context across two Australian states with a total of five participating teachers. The A (Affective) B (Behaviour) C (Cognitive) model was employed to define teacher attitudes from interviews concerning differentiated instruction. Findings indicated that teacher knowledge was a major factor influencing differentiation, in addition to attitude and self-efficacy. The discourse analysis demonstrated that teachers held a greater knowledge of differentiation strategies than the concepts that underpin the differentiated instruction framework. Additionally, time constraints and feelings of failure in implementing differentiation strategies impacted teacher attitudes. Teacher knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy were interrelated and impacted on teachers’ implementation of differentiated instruction in the senior secondary classroom. Implications for professional development to address student needs through differentiated instruction in the inclusive senior secondary classroom teacher are discussed.     

Pedagogical renewal: Improving the quality of classroom interaction in Nigerian primary schools

This study reports on an investigation of classroom interaction and discourse practices in Nigerian primary schools. Its purpose was to identify key issues affecting patterns of teacher–pupil interaction and discourse as research suggests managing the quality of classroom interaction will play a central role in improving the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in contexts where learning resources and teacher training are limited. The study was based on the interaction and discourse analysis of video recordings of 42 lessons and 59 teacher questionnaires from 10 States, drawn mainly from the north of Nigeria. The findings revealed the prevalence of teacher explanation, recitation and rote in the classroom discourse with little attention being paid to securing pupil understanding. The wider implications of the findings for improving the quality of classroom interaction in Nigerian primary schools through more effective school-based training are considered.     

Employing Microscience Equipment to Promote Chemistry Education Through Constructivist Hands- and Minds-on Activities

This study sought to use simple, less costly, robust equipment and constructivist pedagogies, that promote and foster learning, to enable an intact class of 81 teacher trainees in a teaching programme to form their own authentic concepts through fun-filled, engaging social interactions. Data were collected by means of two-tier diagnostic assessments in a constructivist classroom environment that employed microscience equipment and activities. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observation schedules were employed to triangulate data and acquired learning skills. From the study, it was found that the variant hands-on and minds-on constructivist approach enhanced the acquisition of many learning skills, created environmental awareness, and concept formation. The implication here is that, the varied constructivist approach has the potential to change the way chemistry is taught in more pragmatic, interactive, simple, fun, and engaging ways to facilitate conceptual understanding of chemistry for sustainability and further innovations in STEM development.

     

Case analysis of children's reasoning in problem-solving process

Recognising critical reasoning and problem-solving as one of the key skills for twenty-first century citizenship, various types of problem contexts have been practiced in science classrooms to enhance students’ understandings and use of evidence-based thinking and justification. Good problems need to allow students to adapt and evaluate the effectiveness of their knowledge, reasoning and problem-solving strategies. When students are engaged in complex and open-ended problem tasks, it is assumed their reasoning and problem-solving paths become complex with creativity and evidence in order to justify their conclusion and solutions. This study investigated the levels of reasoning evident in student discourse when engaging in different types of problem-solving tasks and the role of teacher interactions on students’ reasoning. Fifteen students and a classroom teacher in a Grade 5–6 classroom participated in this study. Through case analyses, the study findings suggest that (a) there was no clear co-relation between certain structures of problem tasks and the level of reasoning in students’ problem-solving discourse, (b) students exhibited more data-based reasoning than evidence-based and rule-based justification in experiment-based problem-solving tasks, and (c) teacher intervention supported higher levels of student reasoning. Pedagogical reflections on the difficulties of constructing effective problem-solving tasks and the need for developing teacher scaffolding strategies are discussed.     

‘Named Small but Doing Great’: An Investigation of Small-Scale Chemistry Experimentation for Effective Undergraduate Practical Work

In theory, practical work is an established part of university-level chemistry courses. However, mainly due to budget constraints, large class size, time constraints and inadequate teacher preparations, practical activities are frequently left out from chemistry classroom instruction in most developing countries. Small-scale chemistry (SSC) experimentation in which one uses miniature chemical equipment can drastically reduce quantities of chemicals used during experimentation, which can help overcome some of the barriers preventing practical work in the chemistry classroom. This study evaluated the effectiveness of using miniature chemical equipment at the undergraduate level in increasing students’ understanding of chemistry concepts as well as in improving their attitude towards chemistry practical work. Two comparable groups of first-year students who enrolled for a Practical General Chemistry course participated. A quasi-experimental design was employed in which the experimental group (N = 49) used the SSC approach while the control group (N = 52) followed the traditional approach for over 8 weeks. Data were gathered using chemistry tests, attitude and perception questionnaires and interviews. Findings showed that the SSC approach was as effective as the traditional laboratory approach in improving students’ attitude towards practical work, but more effective in enhancing students’ understanding of chemistry concepts. More interestingly, SSC was positively accepted by both students and instructors as an effective strategy for teaching first-year undergraduate chemistry practicals. Some shortcomings of the approach were also identified.     

经验教师数学课堂教学策略的个案研究——以九年级“二次函数图像平移”的教学为例

在课程改革的背景下,选择了对初中学生而言具有一定难度的教学内容——二次函数图像的平移,并以此为载体探究一位中国经验教师课堂教学策略.发现这位数学教师在教学中采用了"先整体,后细节"的教学策略,体现了数学课程改革的教学理念,不过教师对学生认知特征的认识还有待进一步提高。     

Discourse forms in a classroom transitioning to student-centred scientific inquiry through co-teaching

Teacher–student discourse continues to be teacher-centred even though researchers and reform documents have recommended changes toward increased levels of student-centred discourse. In science education this situation is paralleled by effort to make scientific inquiry more student-centred. The purpose of this study was to investigate how discourse forms changed over time in a classroom where the regular teacher and his students were scaffolded in the transitioning to student-centred scientific inquiry. Video-recordings were collected at intervals over one academic year. Three prominent forms of discourse were identified: two teacher-authoritative forms and one more interactive, dialogic form. As the lessons increasingly turned into student-centred scientific inquiry, a shift to the dialogic discourse form was found. Co-teaching provided for (a) guidance towards an organisation of events in the classroom that included regular teacher–student dialogue (b) modelling of the more dialogic form of discourse.