This thesis consists in a conversation analysis (CA) of interaction among university students engaging in group work outside of the classroom, without the physical presence of a teacher, as part of a subject taught by the author. The task involves preparing for an oral presentation in students’ third language, English. The students’ interaction is mediated by presentation slides, among other artifacts. A priori, the students occupy institutionally and epistemically equal statuses as regards normative expectations within this context. The analysis explores how they coordinate their actions and engage in different layers of activity to accomplish the task. It further examines the learning opportunities that such a context may afford. The findings indicate that the previously prepared presentation slides maintained an order, which guided the overall and ongoing structure of the students’ meeting activity. However, it was especially suggestion sequences that mobilized participants’ collaborative actions towards co-constructing the presentation. The phenomena that shaped and constrained the students’ interaction were seen in their orientations towards each other’s epistemic status, and the associated entitlement and responsibilities thereof. Furthermore, learning opportunities emerging in the form of scaffolding behavior were observed to recur throughout the courses of the unfolding interactions. Research in this area is relevant as collaborative work among peers in the educational setting is a ubiquitous practice that is carried out inside and outside of the classroom. While the greater part of research has been dedicated to studying such activity in classrooms where a teacher is present, less has analyzed interaction among peers in an extra-classroom, yet institutional setting. This study contributes to the growing field of conversation analysis research in multilingual, higher education learning contexts. From the perspective of practitioner research, it has also contributed to the implementation of certain methodological changes to the pedagogical activity studied.
- Student interaction
- Conversation analysis
- Higher education
Student interaction during group work in a multilingual university setting. Suggestions, epistemic orientations and scaffolding behaviors
Deal ., M. L. (Author). 4 Nov 2016
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis