Browsing by Subject "avunpyynnöt"

The increasing immigration in Finland has led to a situation where pupils with immigrant background need to be considered even more than before. In Finland pupils with immigrant background usually start studying in an instruction preparing for basic education which is meant to create adequate language and study skills that are needed in the basic education classrooms. The increasing amount of pupils studying in their second language comes with the need to implement more reasearch in classrooms where communication does not happen in pupils’ first language. The ways that pupils attempted to get teacher’s attention and express their need for help in the instruction preparing for basic education were examined and analysed in this research. Also teachers’ ways to respond to pupils requests for help were examined. According to earlier studies the most conventional ways to attach teachers’ attention are addressing the teacher and raising hands. Earlier studies also demonstrate that when studied in second language teacher’s help is needed in both problems with the language and problems with solving excersises. Research data was filmed in four classrooms in different schools in the metropolitan area of Finland. The data consists of 7 hours and 37 minutes of filmed lessons in the instruction preparing for basic education. There were 21 pupils examined in total and there was a teacher as well as a special needs assistant in every classroom. The data was transcribed and analysed by using conversation analysis as a method. During the filmed lessons the researchers also took notes and the teachers also gave some important information about the pupils that were examined such as how long they have lived in Finland. According to the research results pupils in the instruction preparing for basic education strived for teacher’s attention by addressing teacher, looking at them as well as raising a hand and approaching the teacher. The pupils’ ways of expressing their need for help were divided in two categories: verbal and nonverbal expressions. Verbal expressions consisted of direct questions, ”I don’t understand/know/remember/don’t know how to –expressions, verbal word searches, teacher-centered expressions and repetitions. Nonverbal expressions consisted of bodily word searches, body language and facial expressions. The teachers’ ways to help pupils were steering pupils towards solution, giving the right answer, explaining word meanings, using other pupils’ knowledge, steering pupils’ proceeding, code-switching and rephrasing.