Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the learning conditions of a group of seventh graders during the teaching of a teacher-developed integrated module. Interpretations of the learning conditions in this study are derived from a discourse analysis of group interactions to understand the process of social interactions of a group. A junior high school class was observed, and a typical student group was selected to analyze their group interactions. Data including audiotapes, videotapes, interviews, and documents were first analyzed by using Secondary Teaching Analysis Matrix-S to identify some overarching patterns in the whole teaching process and discourse analysis was then followed to explore the relationships between events, interactions, and learning results within the focus group. It is found that the mode of group interaction was the “group-centered pattern” suggested by Johnson and Johnson. That is, the members of the group accomplish tasks through communication and cooperation. Under the teacher’s facilitation, students construct knowledge through group interactions, and knowledge constructions were done both by individuals and the group. In addition, the group interactions and knowledge constructions were influenced by social conditions of the process of dialogues. Based on the results generated, suggestions for teachers while developing and teaching integrated modules are provided.
| Keywords: | group interaction; integrated instructional module |
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