The indexical nature of classroom discourse: the role of technology integration

ABSTRACT

This study explored how fifth-grade teachers and their students use indexical expressions (i.e. verbal expressions to convey the degree of certainty or tentativeness) as being indicative of dialogism in whole-class discussions in four elementary classes. Half of the classes received instruction on geographic information system (GIS)-related topics by way of technology integration and inquiry-based instruction, whereas the other half received typical social-studies lessons involving paper maps, serving as a baseline group. Technology integration was associated with relatively more use of indexical expressions, both boosters (to convey certainty) and hedges (to denote tentativeness), by teachers and their students and higher impact of student language on teacher language in the degree of absoluteness and tentativeness. Moreover, whereas the network of indexical expressions in the technology-integrated classes included a reciprocal impact between teachers and students and among students, the network in the baseline classes was limited to student-student exchanges alone. These findings suggest that technology integration in inquiry lessons tends to encourage the use of tentative and confirmatory language that aligns with the nature of the discipline.

KEYWORDS:

• Classroom discourse
• indexicality
• geographic information systems
• sequential analysis
• technology integration; elementary grades

Acknowledgements

The research on the use of GIS technologies in upper elementary grades was supported by the National Science Foundation grant # 1316660 and the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Illinois State University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors. The authors would like to thank Joel Studebaker for leading the teacher training sessions and assisting with module design and development, Jonathan Thayn for preparing the GIS digital maps, Jill Thomas for assisting with data collection, Zack Roman, Lauren Hutmacher, and Bianca Di Cristofano for transcribing video data, and Hala Jadallah for serving as a statistical consultant and analyst for part of this project and manuscript. We are also indebted to the teachers and the students who worked with us on this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Discovery Research K-12, U.S.A [1316660].

Notes on contributors

May Jadallah

May Jadallah, Ph.D., is an associate professor of educational psychology and elementary education at Illinois State University, Normal, IL, U.S.A. She examines classroom discourse and small-group collaboration focusing on children’s cognitive and social processes as well as modes of teacher scaffolding to promote children’s higher-level reasoning operations.

Hyun-Sook Kang

Hyun-Sook Kang, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S.A., where she teaches second language acquisition, language assessment, and pedagogical grammar. Her research interests include the application of linguistics to educational settings in an effort to promote learning. (ORCID: 0000-0001-8340-3718)

Alycia M. Hund

Alycia M. Hund, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA. Her areas of interest are child development and research methods. Her research focuses on parent-child and teacher-child communication, executive functioning, school readiness, and spatial cognition.

Elizabeth M. Kirby

Elizabeth M. Kirby has served as a project consultant for a number of research studies conducted in Illinois and Illinois State University both in K-12 settings and post-secondary education. Her interests include the development of social policies which promote human well-being in ways that are humane, cost-effective, and sustainable.