The Impact of Social Positioning and Peer Group Affiliation on Students’ Oral Presentations

• In Event: A 21st-Century Education: Alternative Instructional Practices and Programs

Abstract

The study explores gender differences in 9th grade students’ oral presentations in language art education. Students’ social positioning and peer group affiliation is crucial in relation to how students prepare and perform their presentations in class. The main question to be explored is: In what way do the students’ social positioning, peer group affiliation, and use of verbal and non-verbal resources, co-vary with boys’ and girls’ oral presentations? In depth studies of video recordings of student presentations indicate some significant gender differences. While the boys read a manuscript out loud, most of the girls are well prepared and know their presentation by heart. The girls also make more use of personal examples and technical aids (i.e. power points).

Authors

• Sigrun Svenkerud, Buskerud University College

• Cecilie Pedersen Dalland, University of Oslo

• Kirsti Klette, University of Oslo