Abstract of My Paper Published in RABSEL: The CERD Educational Journal, Volume XV, Autumn 2014.

Patterns of Teacher-Student Verbal Interaction in the Tenth Grade

Biology Classes in Samtse District

Tshewang Rabgay

ABSTRACT

Grounded in the importance of classroom interaction in teaching and learning, this study examined the pattern of teacher-student verbal interaction in grade ten biology classes using Flanders Interaction Analysis System (FIAS). The sample of the study consisted of 8 teachers and 383 class 10 biology students from three higher secondary schools and a middle secondary school in Samtse district. Seventeen grade 10 biology classes were observed using a coding chart. The data obtained were analyzed using the decoding process prescribed in FIAS. The study was significant because its findings and conclusions may stimulate teachers to improve their interaction practices in order to maximize students learning.

The findings revealed that 75.71% of the time was used for ‘lecturing’ making it the most popular approach. The findings also revealed that teacher talk (85.23%) was much more than student talk time (11.38%) which indicated that classroom interaction was dominated by teachers. It was also found that teachers’ used more direct influence (77.27%) through lecturing and giving directions than indirect influence (7.96%) which include behaviors like accepting students’ feelings, praising, encouraging, accepting or using students ideas and asking questions. By and large the findings indicated that teacher dominated classroom interaction continues to be the dominant teaching trend in teaching tenth grade biology in Samtse district. The study confirmed previous studies done in Bhutan which reported similar findings.

Key words: Classroom Interaction, Flanders Interaction Analysis System (FIAS), Biology Class.
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