The Influence of Instructional Conversation on Student Engagement in Class

• In Event: Developing, Using, and Analyzing New Tools for Classroom Observation

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between student engagement and the pedagogical strategy Instructional Conversation (IC) using a piloted observational tool. The tool was designed to measure students’ behavioral engagement when students experienced teachers who were rated as either low or high on this strategy. The results were significant: a) student engagement increased over time in both groups, b) students in the high IC group showed greater levels of engagement, and c) students belonging to low IC group changing more rapidly. Previous studies have demonstrated that IC is useful for increasing students’ conceptual understanding, but until now, there were no studies on student engagement. This study extends the literature on IC by demonstrating that student engagement increases as teachers’ implementation increases.

Authors

• Kazufumi Taira, University of Hawaii - Manoa

• Tasha R. Wyatt, University of Hawaii - Manoa

• Seongah Im, University of Hawaii

• Mary C. Lennon, University of Hawaii