Classroom observations are an important source of information about teaching and about the practice of particular teachers. The paper considers the value placed on talk as opposed to silence in this context and suggests that a cultural bias towards talk means that silence is commonly perceived negatively. The paper is based on a qualitative…

Through the use of a case study, this article explores the role of talk in underprepared students' acquisition of academic discourse. Conversation analysis as a linguistic framework is used to examine the interactions of students participating in a small writing group. Tracing the progress of one student's paper, I explore how students'…

The use of PowerPoint (PPT)-based lectures in business classes is prevalent, yet it remains empirically understudied in business education research. The authors investigate whether students in the contemporary business classroom view PPT as a novel stimulus and whether these perceptions of novelty are related to students' self-assessment of…

The purpose of this teacher action research was twofold: to learn more about preservice teachers' preconceived notions related to listening and to investigate how a listening journal assignment impacted preservice teachers' views of listening as an important aspect of discourse. The participants were enrolled in a mathematics methods course for…

This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between teacher immediacy and student motivation. Specifically, verbal and nonverbal independent variables were compared with dependent traits of expectancy-value and approach-avoidance motivation. Students self-reported perceived levels of instructor immediacy and self-rated their…

The purpose of this study was to validate and extend the findings of an exhaustive literature search in Year 1 and a meta-analysis in Year 2 of a 3-year project in which nine (9) small-group discussion approaches were identified. Having identified parameters of discussion that were, to a greater or lesser extent, present in these nine discussion…

The development in Mauritius's three major languages is essentially sequential for most of the population: Creole, French, English. In schools, English is used alongside French (and some Creole) in Primary Standards 1 (ages five-six) to 3 (ages seven-eight). English is officially the sole medium of instruction from Primary Standard 4 (ages…

This study examined a model of international students' educational satisfaction in the U.S. Using Communication Theory of Identity as a framework, the authors proposed that personal-enacted identity gaps and personal-relational identity gaps contribute to international students' educational satisfaction. Furthermore, acculturation and perceived…

There is an increasing acceptance in the education literature and in classroom settings for "best practice" to be linked with verbal clarification of knowledge and reasoning, ideally in collaborative contexts where students construct both group and individual knowledge. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one such classroom context in which…

This report provides a rationale for making inquiry-oriented discussions a more integral part of classroom practice. It begins by identifying five features that make this type distinct from other types of discussion--focusing especially on the use of multiple texts. Then, the heart of the report explains the concepts and practices that are central…

This book contains ideas for teachers facing the challenges of turning their classrooms and schools into "discourse communities." The yearbook is divided into four sections. Part 1 (chapters 1-3) sets the stage by considering the challenges inherent in shifting directions of discourse. Part 2 (chapters 4-21) focuses on establishing…

The connection of feminism and ecology into ecofeminism has important congruencies with the teaching of writing and literacy, creating an important web of influence between language, politics, and planet. The four central claims of ecofeminism are: (1) there is a connection between the exploitation of the environment and the exploitation of women;…

A model for pedagogical discourse that provides evidence to explain the operation of both instructional and regulative discourse in the classroom is presented. The model is based on a theory that the activities and concerns of the wider contexts outside school are relocated for the purpose of school learning, and that the resulting instructional…

A survey of secondary social studies teachers in St. Louis asked questions to determine a political profile and attitudes toward social studies curriculum for each teacher. How the greater dissatisfaction of the more liberal teachers toward the curriculum is manifested in the classroom is an area, however, in which study is still needed. (JH)