Exploring the Practice of Teacher-Students’ Classroom Interaction in Speaking Subject at Higher Education

Abstract

This study aims at formulating the teaching and learning’s interactional patterns on speaking subjects in universities.This is qualitative study which applied a realistic ethnographic approach. The data were the lecturers and students’ speech fragments on learning and teaching speaking skills. The instruments were technically obtained from observation using video recording. The data sources were the lecturers and students’ speech fragment at four different specific higher education (HE), the data were further labelled as HE-1, HE-2, HE-4 and HE-3. The data analysis followed Miles and Huberman’s interactive models. The results showed that the teaching-learning interactional patterns of speaking subjects at four specific universities remains dominantly controlled by the lecturers. In the HE-1, the lecturers were found speaking more actively than students (TTT) whereas in HE-3 & HE-4, students were given more speaking opportunities (STT), where this has led affecting the students’ achievement and optimal learning objectives. The interactions were mainly occured at the time the students construct both their experience and knowledge with the received information. Lecturers at both universities have not been able to facilitate students to developing and expressing their ideas. Among the compared higher education of HE-1, HE-2, HE-3 & HE-4, the learning and teaching interactional patterns at the speaking subjects’ implementation were directed towards constructivism. Through generative learning strategy, there were found elements which reflect each step of the strategies, although at an early stage. It is necessary to develop varied learning models which engage students’ active participation. In addition, there should be an understanding towards the concept of students’ classroom interactional competence.