Shall we Start or Not?:

Analysis of Teachers' Discursive Strategies for Fostering a Good Relational Atmosphere in the Classroom

Authors

  • Marta Pastor Borràs Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the oral discourse of an intern teacher, a student who is in the process of earning a Master’s Degree in Teaching in Secondary Schools at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in the specialisation track in the teaching of Catalan Language and Literature. The intern teacher uses audio recordings made during one of her own lessons to analyse teacher-student interactions. Her aim is to evaluate which discursive strategies are employed by the novice teacher to reduce social distances between the different interlocutors in the classroom, and to improve teacher-student interactions in an educational context where there appears to be a degree of reluctance on the part of students to learn and speak Catalan. To evaluate the relationship between teacher and students, the study analyses the strategies used by the teacher in her discourse to approach or distance herself from her students. The fundamental goal pursued here is the analysis of whether it is possible to achieve a balance between authority and empathy in the classroom. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the recorded classroom interactions points to the need to ensure and maintain this balance. The study shows the usefulness of teacher self-assessment to learn about discourse strategies in social relations, an area of inherent relevance to education.

Keywords

discursive teaching strategies, classroom social relations, Catalan, teacher self-assessment, classroom authority

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Author Biography

Marta Pastor Borràs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Marta Pastor holds a BA in Catalan Philology, a BA in Literary Theory and Comparative Literature (UAB), an MA in Theatre Studies (UAB and Barcelona Theatre School), and an MSc in Teacher Training for Secondary Education (UAB). She is currently a secondary school teacher of Catalan Language and Literature.

Published

2022-02-10

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