Constructing Interpersonal Meaning in Indonesian Science Classrooms through Language, Space and Gaze

Abstract

Classroom communication involves the integration of various semiotic modes which is linked to particular meanings, like teacher-student relationships or interpersonal meanings. This study investigates the different semiotic resources used in an Indonesian science classroom and the power relations manifested in the classroom through the analyses of different semiotic modes. The present study employed a qualitative case study based on Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis. The data were recorded videos of a science lesson in a private school located in Lembang, West Java, Indonesia. The data were analysed using the framework of negotiation developed in Systemic Functional Linguistics to investigate language use, spatial pedagogy and gaze. The study found that the observed teacher predominantly produced speech functions in the forms of questions (40 percent), statements (28 percent) and commands (18 percent) while her students predominantly produced answers (49 percent) and questions (26 percent) during the interactions. In terms of space, the teacher occupied authoritative, personal and interactional spaces while the students mostly occupied the interactional space. With regard to gaze, the teacher’s gaze was directed at the students, the objects under discussion and the books, while her students directed their gaze at the teacher, the objects under discussion and the books. These findings reflect a dynamic pedagogy. While the observed teacher maintains her authority most of the time, she focuses on building a rapport or a certain solidarity with her students as reflected in her use of the semiotic resources.