Leerzame tweegesprekken: individuele begeleiding in multiculturele klassen

Abstract

In this contribution we present observations made in first-year classrooms of two secondary schools in Utrecht. In particular, we studied students' participation in dyadic interactions with the teacher. These dyadic interactions occurred in parts of the lesson in which the students were individually making their assignments. During these parts the teacher responded to students' requests for help, explanation or feedback. A quantitative analysis of student participation revealed conspicuous differences between the two classes. A qualitative analysis of the interactions showed the absence of a common problem definition by the interlocutors. Students mostly put their questions in global terms and the teachers reacted to these questions by starting an explanation without asking the student to clarify the nature of her problem. The teachers often failed to involve the students into the construction of the solution of the task. This result is not favourable for minority students, for whom participation is a way to increase their command of Dutch and of the language of mathematics.