From Conversation Analysis to the development of an interaction-sensitive coding system:

Capturing profiles of discourse acquisition support in classroom discourse

Abstract

The methodologically oriented article presents theoretical and methodological principles as well as ap­plication perspectives of the coding instrument ISKODIL which aims at examining teachers’ moves that might fos­ter students’ acquisition of oral discourse skills (Heller & Morek, 2015). The instrument was developed in a profes­sional development project on teacher interaction in classroom discussions. It is based on Conversation Analysis and discourse acquisition theory and in contrast to existing coding instruments for classroom talk, ISKODIL helps to map the sequentiality and interactivity of adaptive discursive demands and support for discursive contributions. The focus is on global sequential implications for explaining and reasoning that teachers set up, and on teachers’ use of listening activities. Possible applications of ISKODIL are illustrated by comparing four teachers’ (German language and literature) repertoires of discourse-acquisition support moves.