Volume: 21  Number: 6  Page: 473–486  doi:10.2167/le699.0

Research article

Routine Encounters During Independent Writing: Explicating Taken-for-granted Interaction

Christina Davidson School of Education and Innovation, Central Queensland University, Australia

Research has established the predominance of one sequence of interaction in teacher-led activity in the classroom. Although much is known about the initiation–response– evaluation sequence, relatively less is known about other interaction sequences that may constitute classroom lessons. This study examines interaction during a time of individual activity in the classroom. Conversation Analysis is used to explicate and describe student–teacher interaction initiated by students during independent writing. Discussion establishes some of the ways that this interaction varies from the question–answer–evaluation sequence of interaction, and relates this to the institutional activity of the teacher and students during the lesson.

Keywords: conversation analysis, student–teacher interaction

Copyright © 2007 C. Davidson

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