Exploring Structure and Interaction in Small Groups
An Ethnographic Study of Cooperative Group Life in a Bilingual Elementary Classroom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12752028 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Patricia L Prado-Olmos (University of California, Santa Barbara, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1994 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 135-159 |
| Publication date | 1994-07-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bilingual Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1523-5882 • E-ISSN: 1523-5890 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/15235882.1994.10162672 |
| OpenAlex | W2080706759 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
The study systematically explored the interaction of a small group of Spanish-English bilingual program students as they engaged in a discussion about text in a third grade cooperative learning curriculum for language arts instruction. The study adopted a sociolinguistic perspective and employed an ethnographic method. Participant observations were undertaken over the course of an academic year. Four students, two female and two male, were videotaped and audiotaped as they engaged in all language arts activities. The ethnographic description led to the identification of key speech events enacted by the small group. One key speech event type, discussion centered on story related comprehension questions, was examined in more detail. A microanalysis of the discourse occurring in an exemplar event was undertaken. This analysis led to the construction of an analytic framework in which to view additional discussion events. Results indicated that the students did not approach the discussion as an activity in which to exchange ideas and formulate answers. Rather, the discussion was “something to get through.” Results showed the discussion activity proceeded as an exchange of roles adopted by the students rather than as an exchange of ideas. The roles the students adopted mimicked the teacher and student roles that characterized the larger classroom context. Issues raised by the findings with regard to literacy learning and program implementation are discussed
Comprehension · Context (archaeology · Curriculum · Ethnography · Language arts · Linguistics · Literacy · Mathematics education · Participant observation · Pedagogy · Perspective (graphical · Sociology · Visual arts · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching
| Highly cited | No |
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