Transcription: A Taken-for-Granted Tool for Changing Classroom Talk and Interaction During Practitioner Action Research

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Action Research to Promote Researcher and Practitioner Collaboration

Abstract

Predominant patterns of classroom talk and interaction are notoriously difficult to change. This paper considers teachers’ use of transcription as a tool for changing classroom interactional practices during the course of action research projects in elementary classrooms. We examine data generated in twelve action research projects developed by teachers. Each teacher recorded numerous lessons, throughout, and transcribed these to reflect on features of interaction. Here, we present a thematic analysis of reflective journals and of our final interviews with all teachers. We delineate five themes and discuss these to argue that incorporating more extensive knowledge of the transcription process would further practitioners’ understandings of talk and interaction and create potential for more focused reflection when seeking to change classroom interaction.

Authors

• Christina R. Davidson, Charles Sturt University

• Christine J Edwards-Groves, Charles Sturt University