Classroom discourse in Nepalese schools: a cultural perspective

Abstract

This research entitled Classroom discourse in Nepalese schools: A cultural perspective was completed to critically analyze the Nepalese classroom discourse from cultural perspective. Intensive classroom activities of teachers and students of the schools were explored to make meaning for the reality of what goes on inside the classrooms of the Nepalese schools. I have enhanced my study by corroborating and incorporating resourceful ideas borrowed from related literature to substantiate the field findings. I have adopted, to be particular, discourse theory to substantiate the findings of this research study. I am aware of the fact that no interpretation is final and knowledge is contextual and alterable due to the technological upheavals and recent trends in education. Nevertheless, perpetual discourse, dialogue, discussion, dealing and intensive interaction based on subjective inquiry in unearthing what research participants experienced as truth assured me to claim that the revealed knowledge is reliable, credible and trustworthy. This study was completed by applying purposive sampling technique. The study revealed that teaching learning qualities are inherent and indispensable to bring into fruition teachers and students’ cultural perspective in the form of classroom discourse. Teachers and students’ cultural perception of teaching learning activities was very much reflected into classroom transactions, which have been termed in this study as classroom discourse. It was found that the rationality of cooperation and collaboration in classroom discourse works as a ground for making teaching learning activities imaginative, innovative, communicative and creative through specific activities as discussion, dialogue, interaction and interpretation. These symbiotic activities-the very soul of classroom discourse- were not fully reflected in the classrooms observed with a cultural perspective. As classroom discourse with a dialogical approach was the focus of this study, it has implications beyond cultural, social and pedagogical practices: the major implication being a change in my personal philosophy and consequently, my belief, attitudes and values of viewing the classroom culture as a discursive field of teaching learning. Going beyond the classroom, though difficult for a classroom bound delivery, is to enrich classroom discourse by bringing into a wealth of value based perception and practice in order to give life to it.