Abstract
Teacher-learner interaction receives ample attention as a policy matter because of growing challenges in the modern education system. Accurate delivery of education can be a catalysis for economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. A skilled teacher inquiry leads to better education delivery, yet the role of teacher-learner interaction and the type of inquiry in developing autonomy in language classrooms is an under researched area. Following a qualitative approach and interpretive paradigm, this work reports on an exploration of teacher-learner interaction and questioning practices through EFL classroom observations. Classes of four teachers from public sector universities in Pakistan are observed to record classroom practises and data are transcribed and analysed. Findings show that teachers’ interaction and the type of questions control learner autonomy or somehow promote it to a low level. Learning decisions from contents selection to mode of delivery are controlled by the class teacher. Class interaction is observed as one-way communication with lack of synchronization between learner and instructor. Analysis of teacher inquiry reveals that teacher engage learners with low cognitive demand questions and are found less tolerant towards wait-time. The study suggests that teachers must reflect on their practices and involve students through autonomy-supportive practices and high cognitive questions.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
TEACHER-LEARNER INTERACTION, TEACHER QUESTIONING, LEARNER AUTONOMY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
