Are student engagement and peer relationships connected to student participation in classroom talk?

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between student participation in classroom talk, student engagement, and student relationships with their peers in the classroom. The research was conducted with 639 participants, all Czech ninth-grade students. It was carried out through observations of language arts classes where the talk time of each student was recorded. Student engagement was assessed using student self-reports and peer relationships were measured through a sociometric inventory. Data analysis indicated that students’ cognitive engagement and their influence among their peers reinforced participation in classroom talk. Social engagement and student likeability among peers, on the other hand, seemed to weaken student participation in classroom talk.