A Pedagogic Discourse Analysis of Malaysian Higher Education Classroom Practices

Abstract

Research on the teaching and learning process of the English language in the classroom usually focuses on the method, content, strategy and teaching aids. Moving away from this norm, this research examines the process from the discourse analysis perspective namely pedagogic discourse analysis, with an adaptation of Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis Framework. This study focuses on interaction within English classrooms at 3 different campuses at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan involving first year undergraduate students whereby each campus focuses on different disciplines (Kampus Kota – Business Studies, Kampus Bachok – Fine Arts, Kampus Jeli – Sciences). The data source consists of video-recording classroom lessons in which both lecturers and students are engaged in the interaction. The analysis of pedagogic discourses in the classroom can reveal a great deal about lecturers’ interpretation, implementation and the relationship with students. Studies by previous scholars have mainly described pedagogic discourses at the surface level but neglected addressing the power relationship. The research findings indicate that lecturers’ dominance is concealed in turn-taking system, types of questions posed by the lecturers, discourse control and the overall structure of the discourse. Results also reveal eight types of discourse used by lecturers in the classroom, namely questioning, accepting, explaining, informing, instructing, correcting, rejecting and modeling. Overall, lecturers were found to dominate the pedagogic discourse in the classroom. It concludes that specific social practices on the part of students and lecturers produce particular discourse practices in the classroom. These discourse practices hinder the ongoing interaction. Both lecturers’ and students’ assumptions on social beliefs of the classroom practices contribute to creating an atmosphere of control and dominance in the classroom.