Compelling research evidence shows benefits for student learning from explaining one's ideas and engaging with the ideas of others. However, whether certain patterns of group interaction may engender this productive student participation is unknown. Using data from two third grade mathematics classrooms, and over the course of six days during a…

China is the leading source of international students for the UK. However, there are many differences between Chinese and UK classroom culture; for example, Chinese students may do well in tests and assignments in class, but they are very quiet and are often reluctant to speak up within the classroom environment. This silent behaviour can be a…

Classroom discussions represent a common learning activity for students in schools. The prevailing discourse has focused on how to encourage as many students as possible to participate actively in classroom discussions with the assumption that only vocal students are engaged learners. The present essay critically challenges this position by…

This study explored the science learning experiences of elementary English Language Learners (ELLs) in a fourth-grade mainstream science classroom in an urban setting. Informed by ethnographic research and case study design, this study interrogated the celebrated and marginalized practices within common classroom procedures and what…

Research reveals striking differences in college classroom participation patterns across gender, race, and ethnicity. Trained faculty can change these patterns. An American University experimental equity training program illustrated that trained faculty (n=23) were 38 percent more interactive than the control group, giving more precise feedback to…

Survey data from 1,069 students in a small private college were used to assess why students offer comments or raise questions in class. Results indicate that class traits and student traits explained the most variance; neither professors' gender nor professors' interpersonal style played a central role in class participation. (Author/MSE)

Videotape recordings and transcriptions of sequences of drama sessions in 10 elementary classrooms were analyzed to explore the utility of an anthropological perspective in assessing the nature of children's participation in improvisational drama project activities. Approximately 270 children and their teachers received seven and one half hours of…