The Effects of EFL Teachers’ Gender and Experience on Interaction Patterns in Undergraduate Content Classes

Abstract

Teacher-student interactions have been extensively explored in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms using the tripartite Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) model. Past research concentrates mainly on the exploration of interactions in classrooms where language skills and components are taught. However, the analysis of IRF exchanges in EFL content courses is under-researched. The present study, therefore, was designed to explore IRF interactions in these types of EFL classes. The main purpose was to describe student-teacher interactions in these classes and explore the possible effects of teachers’ gender and teaching experience on IRF use. The participants included a group of seven EFL teachers and 25 undergraduate EFL learners studying English Literature and Translation Studies at the University of Kashan, Iran. The researchers recorded 26 90-min content classes through participant observation. Guided by expert opinion, the researchers purposively selected and transcribed 390 min of the recorded exchanges and then coded them using the Sinclair and Coulthard Model. The analysis of exchange types and frequencies indicated that the student’s reply act, the teacher’s elicitation act, and the teacher’s accept act were the most frequently observed classroom interactions. However, teachers’ starters and asides were not observed at all. At the level of interactional moves, the opening move by the teacher and the answering move by the students were the most frequent. Results also showed that student initiation addressed to the teacher was observed more frequently in classes taught by teachers with average teaching experience (10–20 years) than those taught by a novice (below 10 years) or more experienced teachers (+ 20 years). Teachers’ gender did not significantly influence their interaction patterns with students. Implications for teaching EFL content courses are discussed.