Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2025
06:04
C. elegans Gonad Dissection and Freeze Crack for Immunofluorescence and DAPI Staining
Published on: September 16, 2022
5.4K
"What's Your Thinking behind That?" Exploring Why Biology Instructors Use Classroom Discourse
Cristine Donham1, Tessa C Andrews1
1Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
|August 24, 2023
Summary
Instructor discourse, defined as verbal interactions with students, can enhance learning. Understanding why instructors use dialogic discourse, a back-and-forth exchange, can improve teaching professional development for biology educators.
Area of Science:
- Biology Education Research
- Classroom Discourse Analysis
- Higher Education Pedagogy
Background:
- Instructor discourse significantly impacts student learning.
- Dialogic discourse, characterized by shared idea exchange, fosters deep learning but is infrequent in undergraduate biology.
- Understanding instructor reasoning for using dialogic discourse is crucial for effective teaching professional development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons undergraduate biology instructors utilize dialogic discourse during active-learning sessions.
- To identify and characterize the underlying motivations driving the use of dialogic discourse in science classrooms.
Main Methods:
- Classroom video recordings were used to identify instances of dialogic discourse.
- Stimulated recall interviews were conducted with instructors to elicit their reasoning.
- Inductive and deductive qualitative analysis of interview transcripts was employed.
Main Results:
- Seven distinct reasons for using dialogic discourse were identified.
- Three reasons aligned with promoting student cognitive engagement, while four emerged from the data.
- Specific instructor goals included prompting activity, supplying information, providing feedback, deciphering and leveraging student thinking, and cueing connections.
Conclusions:
- Instructor reasoning for employing dialogic discourse is multifaceted, extending beyond cognitive engagement.
- Findings offer insights for research, professional development programs, and instructors' self-reflection on teaching practices.
- Variations in reasoning were observed across different types of dialogic discourse, highlighting the complexity of its application.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Introduction to Biological Bases of Psychology
3.3K
Biopsychology serves as a vital bridge connecting the intricate domains of biology and psychology, shedding light on how biological systems influence psychological phenomena. This field scrutinizes the biological substrates of behavior and mental processes, emphasizing the nervous system along with the roles of neurotransmitters, hormones, and genetics. It also incorporates evolutionary perspectives to explain the adaptive nature of mental functions.
The nervous system, the cornerstone of...
The nervous system, the cornerstone of...
3.3K
01:23Characteristics of Life
225.2K
Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
225.2K
01:20Biostatistics: Overview
272
Biostatistics plays a crucial role in understanding and analyzing data in healthcare and biology. Biostatisticians conduct experiments, gather evidence, and draw meaningful conclusions using statistical methods and techniques. Different variables form the foundation of biostatistical analysis, allowing researchers to understand and interpret data effectively. These variables are classified into different types, each serving a specific purpose in statistical analysis.
Discrete variables are...
Discrete variables are...
272
02:30Naturalistic Observations
15.5K
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
15.5K
00:59Inductive Reasoning
60.6K
Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
60.6K
01:16Deductive Reasoning
55.5K
Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the opposite direction as compared to inductive reasoning, which means that it uses a general principle or law to predict specific results. From those general principles, a scientist can deduce and predict the specific results that would be valid as long as the general principles are valid.
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...
55.5K