The concept of bidirectionality represents a process of mutual influence between parent and child, whereby each influences the other as well as the dyadic relationship. Despite the widespread acceptance of bidirectional models of influence, there is still a lack of integration of such models in current research designs. Research on…

The aim of this methodological paper is to expound on and demonstrate the value of conversation-analytical research in the area of (informal) teacher learning. The author discusses some methodological issues in current research on interaction in teacher learning and holds a plea for conversation-analytical research on interactional processes in…

In this paper we explore the value of theoretical triangulation as a methodological approach for the analysis of classroom interaction. We analyze an excerpt of a whole-class discussion in history from three theoretical perspectives: interactivity of the discourse, conceptual level raising and historical reasoning. We conclude that using…

Much pedagogic research undertaken in geography and other disciplines relies on post-hoc methods such as surveys or interviews to investigate the student experience of higher education (often based on self-reports of behaviour). However, observation of students provides a far more direct route to obtain information about their behaviour, and there…

This paper discusses interactional patterns in classrooms in primary school in rural Tanzania, based on an ethnographic study on literacy practices. The paper argues that the official policy of Swahili-only in primary school, together with the huge gap between high expectations on educational outcome and lack of resources, have resulted in the…

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a comparative morphology of groups which would be applicable to the whole of social scientific research. The key to the morphological classes suggested is not a focus on the group system itself but on its relationship with the next higher system--the group system's environment. The information exchange…

Describes a method with data analyzed from two lessons on the quantitative assessment of content structure in classroom dialogue. Kinetic structure analysis was used and the fundamental coefficient of structure was calculated for each lesson. The method should provide new directions for looking at verbal interaction in classrooms. (PS)

This study observed the communication behavior within ad hoc and established groups and compared the two types of groups on several indexes of interaction patterns. Ad hoc groups were individuals who had no in-group activity with each other prior to the experiment. Established groups were individuals who had nine 50-minute sessions of ingroup…

A research study that attempts to investigate the use of interaction analysis as a means of self analysis by student teachers themselves, or by supervisors in a teacher education program who have had little previous experience with interaction analysis as part of their supervisory functions. Charts, Graphs. (RB)

An annotated bibliography of 14 journal articles and documents from the ERIC indexes presents literature on verbal and nonverbal behavior, feedback of interaction analysis data to teachers, classroom coding manuals, and interracial interaction. (JN)

This report summarizes recommendations of a panel studying research on teaching as human interaction. Recommendations were classified into three approaches to the study of teaching which dealt with a) teacher-student interaction, b) teacher education, and c) special research problems. Two facets of research were considered to have high priority:…

The paper presents a nontechnical analysis of the philosophical theory of speech acts as a paradigmatic explanation of interpersonal communication. A contrast is drawn between the idea that meaning is "in people" and the speech act theory that meaning is an interpersonal construct. There are nine conditions of interpersonal communication that must…

An observational system for classroom interaction based on the nature of science is reported. Author reasons that structure of the discipline must be considered while evolving an interaction analysis system. (PS)

Study was conducted to explore patterns of verbal interaction in science classrooms. Pupil characteristics were measured in the beginning and towards the end of instructional term. Four patterns of outcomes, communication, and pupil characteristics were found. These are named as success, rejection dependency, person orientation and alienation…

This is an examination of beginning teachers' acquisition of the structures of classroom discourse. Teachers were compared at the beginning and at the end of their first teaching year using a discourse analysis system. Thirty-three hours of audiotapes from 11 teachers were transcribed an coded. Teacher initiations during informing, eliciting, and…