Contextualizing Discourse; Student Identities and Classroom Teaching

Abstract

The paper explores the role of classroom interactions in construction of identity of students. The same has been attempted within critical discourse analysis framework provided by Norman Fairclough (1992). The results of discourse analysis of teacher-student interactions in audio-recordings of third-fourth-and fifth grade EVS lessons reveal that the critical discourse analysis provides a viable source of analyzing co-construction of identity and learning within the classroom. Though teachers encourage student participation in educational interactions by asking questions, but the interactions remain limited to what the biased perception of the teacher. The results of the present study show that such interactions impact the construction of students“ identities adversely. The theoretical framework provided by Fairclough emphasize the need to give a close look to specific discursive constructions within interactions between the teacher and students. With its specific discourse strategies of talk and text analysis, one can explore what kind of constructions of self is being carried out in interactions within a particular social set up, who is claiming to have knowledge and the same is hedging and mitigating others“ perceptions. At the end the paper attempts to contextualize the understanding within the Indian scenario of changing curriculum understanding and build a perspective towards its correct and perceived errors that it may produce if not understood conceptually.