Browsing by Author "Olkkonen, Nita"

The purpose of this study is to clarify the actions taken by teachers when in a classroom interaction with children giving problematic answers. The focus is especially in verbal actions but also the non-verbal actions are noted. Problematic answer in this study means either an answer with wrong content, is incomplete or is unexpected with the relating content. Also the behavior of students was evaluated after they witnessed the reaction of the teacher when problematic answer was given. There are not many studies focusing on the reaction to a problematic answer by teacher in classroom interaction situations. The study emphasizes to teachers initiations and to students answers. The study presents new information about classroom behavior and interactions. This research is qualitative. Analyzed video material is filmed between years 2004 and 2012 in thirteen metropolitan area cities of primary school's sixth classes in mother tongue and literature lessons. Conversational analysis was used as the method of study. The teacher had several ways react to problematic answer. The teacher's reacting methods were categorized to ten categories: passing the turn to another student, minimum response, a new question, repeating the answer, prompting, correcting the answer, partial acceptance, repeating the question, explanation and rejecting. Pupil's problematic answer always led to a teacher's short pause after the response, so it was classified as general act and therefore it wasn't categorized as a single method. The teacher used several reacting methods almost in every case reacting to a problematic answer. The reaction of the teacher to a problematic answer and the behavior of the classroom to this act were examined from the student point of view that gave the problematic answer but also how others behaved in the classroom. The reactions of the student giving a problematic answer were minimal response and non-verbal acts such as directing the eyes down or to the sides. Laughing was noted to be an act by the student giving the problematic answer but also by the surrounding students. Typical behavior by others than the one giving the answer was to evaluate the given answer. Other reactions were asking for a chance to put another answer by raising the hand and spontaneously act to answer without permission.