What Teachers Do When They Say They're Having Discussions of Content Area Reading Assignments: A Qualitative Analysis

The purpose of this study was to characterize middle school teachers' discussions of assigned readings from a variety of content area materials. Using Glaser and Strauss's (1967) constant comparative method, the authors observed 24 volunteer middle school teachers in the South-eastern United States over a period of two semesters as the teachers conducted discussions of content reading assignments. In addition, the teachers were asked to define and describe a good discussion. Finally, five teachers were interviewed as they watched their own discussions on videotape. The teachers' purpose appeared to influence the type of discussion they conducted: When the purpose was to define terms or give information, or to review for a test, the discussion consisted mainly of lecture/recitation or recitation, whereas when the purpose was to facilitate comprehension, the discussion was more likely to be an open forum. Worksheets and textbooks were frequently found in discussions that consisted mainly of lecture/recitation or recitation, whereas materials such as videotapes, films, and notes were used in open-forum discussions. However, the nature of the discussion in each classroom was defined and constructed by the specific teacher and students participating. Although the teachers could articulate abstract definitions of a good discussion, their actual discussions seldom resembled these definitions. Because of perceived pressure from outside forces, they were more concerned about maintaining control and about covering content than about encouraging active participation from students in constructing the meaning of text. /// [French] Le but de cette étude était de décrire comment les enseignants du second cycle du primaire mènent les discussions autour des textes dans les différentes matières scolaires. Pour ce faire la méthode comparative proposée par Glaser et Strauss (1967) a été utilisée. L'observation a porté sur 24 enseignants volontaires et s'est déroulée pendant 2 semestres scolaires. Des informations complémentaires ont été recueillies en entrevues au cours desquelles on demandait aux enseignants de décrire comment ils procédaient pour mener une bonne discussion. Finalement, 5 enseignants ont été interviewés sur leur performance pendant qu'ils regardaient leur enregistrement. Les résultats montrèrent que la conduite des discussions est influencée par les buts poursuivis par les enseignants. Lorsque le but poursuivi était de définir les concepts, de donner de l'in