Examines student discourse in both small and large contexts. Explores the role of shared inquiry and the nature of consensus-building in students' development of explanations from a collaborative knowledge-building stance. Concludes that two forms of discourse (constructive and generative, dialectic and persuasive) effectively promote progressive…

Investigates mathematical phenomena with students through a dialog between teacher and students in an inquiry-based mathematics class. (KHR)

Investigates variation in knowledge construction in three disciplines--sociology, economics, and physics--by drawing on Halliday' s notion of "metaphenomenon." Specifically, the study analyzed the frequency and type of agentive elements in textbooks to find the extent to which knowledge in these disciplines is attributed to individual scholars,…

Highlights the concept of discourse communities, which are used in applied linguistics to analyze written communication. Discusses how the concept developed. (Author/VWL)

Characterizes successful writing tutorials by employing a hybrid methodology, interactional sociolinguistics, combining conversation-analytic and ethnographic techniques. Notes that associated with perceived success were conversational turn structure, tutor mitigation of directives, simultaneous laughter, affiliative overlaps, and small talk.…

Analysis of 21 commission reports advocating gender equity in higher education 1971-1996 shows how dominant discourses of femininity, access, and professionalism position women as victims, outsiders to the structure and culture of the institution, and in need of professional development, with the unintended consequence of undermining gender…

Individuals can be envisaged as living within a number of parallel universes of discourse, where different meanings and values may apply. The inner and outer worlds of the counseling client also constitute different universes. Decisions made with respect to one universe may have different meanings or adverse consequences in another; it beholds the…

Data from an Australian evaluation of competency-based training (CBT) suggest that it emphasizes development of procedural, technical knowledge over reflective problem solving and precludes transformative learning. CBT's empowerment discourses are often belied by workplace realities. Identities of workers and vocational educators are circumscribed…

Gives insights from a writer's agent into the crucial importance of the first paragraph of a short story. Alerts the teacher that he or she almost certainly employs a similar procedure for assessing suitability of a story for classroom use. Admonishes teachers to begin at the beginning when guiding students through a work of fiction. (SG)

Describes the ethnography of communication as a viable, context- and culture-sensitive method for conducting research on classroom discourse. Provides an overview of the method and its role in applied linguistics research and then presents a study of discourse in mainstream high school classes with a large proportion of students who speak English…

Explores ironies of educational reform in the United States as experienced by three second language (L2) learners attending a school attempting to transform itself into a high-performance elementary school in California's Silicon Valley. Drawing on the concept of "fast capitalism" and critical discourse analysis, findings reveal discourses of…

Presents a critique of Mildred D. Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" with regard to its positioning of the child subject. Proposes that the novel contrasts classic works of children's fiction by following a trajectory of child agency, which is enabled through the novel's racial specificity. Discusses the role of historical…

Examines diaries kept by 8 adults (born between 1856 and 1876) over a 70-year period of their lives. Analyzes the complexity of the narrative structure and the cohesion of the text. Finds that the diarists' narratives became structurally more complex across the life span, although they became less cohesive as ambiguous anaphors increased. (KEH)

Includes statements and discussion by six college educators about the new rhetorics. Underscores the need for both new approaches to rhetoric and understanding of its history. Suggests that the term "rhetoric" may have become a grab bag of assorted concepts. Argues that disagreement over rhetoric is preferable to general acceptance of a single…

Explores the narrative construction of Israeli symbolism by tracing the tellings and retellings of the story of the 1936-39 settlement operation known as "Tower and Stockade." Highlights the dialogical process in which such high profile, multivocal national narratives participate and considers the rhetorical role they play in the larger…