CLASSROOM MONOLOGISM FOR EXPEDIENCE'S SAKE

Abstract

Vaish?s (2008) study found that the interactional patterns in the Singapore classroom is highly monologic, largely rooted in behavioural expectations within an Asian culture, where deference to seniority is expected. In the classroom, students avoid challenging the teacher, resulting in a monologic transfer of information from teacher to students. This thesis challenges the notion that monologism in the classroom is a reflection of culturally situated beliefs, through an interactional analysis of two General Paper classrooms. It discusses how monologism resembles a deliberate and functional pedagogical strategy employed by teachers in order to achieve two broad professional expectations - preparing the students for their examinations, as well as being time-efficient. This reflects upon the political economy of the Singapore classroom, as teachers are seemingly circumscribed to favour the monologic interaction in reaction to the socio-economic realities of the society (the exams and its reflection on the performance of the teacher).