'Sociability before individuality': lesson structure in lower secondary classrooms. Issue 3 (4th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Willbergh, Ilmi; Aasebø, Turid Skarre
• Is Part Of: Journal of curriculum studies. Volume 51:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 305
• Publication Date: 2019-05-04
• Subjects: Lesson structure -- classroom research -- instruction -- educational theory -- lower secondary schools; Education -- Curricula -- Periodicals; 375.001
• DOI: 10.1080/00220272.2018.1558458
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0272

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper contributes to the research field of classroom research by offering an empirical analysis of classroom instruction on the level of lesson structure. The research questions are: What are the typical combinations of instructional activities in the lessons of eight teachers in four Norwegian Secondary schools? And how can the content-treatment of these structures be explained considering relevant pedagogical traditions? The method of the study is qualitative non-participatory observation in four Norwegian Secondary schools, with a total dataset of 79 lessons. We found that the most typical combination of instructional activities in the data was the plenary conversation-seatwork-structure. When the content-treatment was analyzed, an 'expository-practice'-structure was revealed. This lesson structure is explained by the influence of progressive-constructivist pedagogical theories in Scandinavia, foremost Bildung-centred general didactics and Vygotsky-inspired socio-cultural theory. From the perspective of the hidden curriculum, we call this discourse 'sociability before individuality'.