Verbal classroom interaction patterns of selected secondary home science teachers with their students in Nairobi province

Abstract

This study is an investigation into the variation of verbal classroom interaction patterns of Home Science teachers with their students in girls, boys and mixed secondary schools in Nairobi Province.

There has been an increasing outcry among the Kenyan society about the general quality of education. This is why Kenya's education system has been undergoing changes to suit the needs and aspirations of the Kenyan society. Although there might be several aspects, which determine the teacher effectiveness in the classroom, one of the most important is probably, classroom-teacher-pupil interaction.

This study was guided by the following broad research questions;

(i.) What type of teacher-pupil interaction patterns exist in the normal Home science classroom? (ii.) Are there significant differences in classroom interaction patterns in the teaching of Home Science in girls, boys and mixed secondary schools?

The researcher also tried to achieve the following specific objectives, drawn from the above broad research questions;

(i.) To observe had analyze the various types of verbal interaction patterns between Home Science Secondary School and their students.

(ii.) To find out which classroom climate is predominant as result of the teachers verbal behavior patterns.

(iii.) To find out which of the teachers verbal behaviour patterns elicit the most responses from the students.

(iv.) To determine the differences in verbal interaction patterns as displayed by Home Science teachers and their students boys and mixed classrooms.

Relevant literature was reviewed concerning the quality of teaching and verbal classroom teaching behaviour patterns. The effect of classroom interaction on learning has also been discussed. A significant argument from the existing literature was that, teaching behaviour patterns of the teachers affect the learning and the motivational level of students.

A total of six (6) Home Science teachers from six (6) stratified randomly selected schools within Nairobi Province were involved in this study. Data was collected using a modified version of Flanders' Interaction Analysis Category (FIAC) system. Each teacher was observed four times.

The verbal interaction patterns of the teachers with their students were analyzed to provide data that would help to answer questions raised by the researcher. The researcher found out that:

(i) The teacher-pupil interaction patterns existing in boys' classrooms were autocratic (where the teacher dominates the classroom talk), while in girls' and mixed classrooms, they were democratic (where the students participate actively in classroom discussions).

(ii) The use of category 1 (accepting students' feeling), 2 (reinforcing), 3 (accepting students' ideas) and 4 (questions) elicited the most responses from the students.

(iii) Teachers treated boys differently from the girls in that they were harsher with the boys.

The researcher recommended that:

(i) Teachers should be in-serviced in order to sensitize them on the necessary develop a democratic classroom climate which would help to motivate and sustain learning in the students.

(ii) Classroom interaction analysis be taught at the undergraduate level, rather than the postgraduate level.

(iii) The number of pupils per practical class needs to be reduced, by either allocating two teachers per class during practical lessons or dividing the classes into smaller groups.