Introduction
Classroom interactions are usually interesting because of the activities that consciously and unconsciously take place. As learners draw knowledge from their teachers, they will often respond differently to the process of knowledge acquisition. This is majorly impacted by their socio-economic backgrounds as well as other factors. The psychological, emotional, and mental capabilities of a child are often put to play in the classroom process. This explains why any learning experience should be learner-centered and focus on meeting the needs of the learners from different perspectives. A teacher guides any successful classroom experience. The success of any classroom experience is dependent on the effectiveness of a teacher in the transmission of knowledge. This research paper will detail a qualitative research done in a classroom setup as well as the analysis of this research.
Description of the Setting
The research will take place through the observation research method. The setting is in eighth-grade classroom during a science lesson and an English lesson. Each lesson will take 45 minutes as is the school’s policy. The classroom has thirty-five students; 17 male students and 18 female students. It is adjacent to the seventh-grade classroom and located near the administration complex of the school. The classroom has three rows. Two rows have 12 students each and the last row has 11 students. The students are arranged in such a way that the shorter students and those with eye issues sit at the front near the blackboard while the taller students occupy the back of the classroom. The sitting arrangement is based on gender, with each column having a male and a female in all the three rows. In the middle row, however, the front column has two females and one male seated in the middle. This is to ensure that nobody sits alone due to the uneven number of the students.
The classroom environment is quite suitable. The air conditioner is in good condition being that its summer and the heat is at its peak. Inside the classroom are different charts depicting images of the digestive system, reproductive system, word groups and masterpiece artistic pieces. The lessons I am about to observe are morning lessons, and the students appear eager to learn. I am seated at the rear of the classroom, and few of the students have noticed my presence. This is a great sign because they will behave as they always do without being intimidated by my presence. The purpose of this observation is to determine the different responses that students have to different teaching techniques and to find out the most effective teaching techniques in a classroom setup.
Analysis and Results
The science teacher came into the classroom 6 minutes late. The students were already poised and prepared to learn. Some, however, showed no interest in learning even though it was still morning. On arrival, the teacher introduced the topic ‘Absorption of water in plants’ then proceeded to teach the topic and give notes. The writing on the board was quite difficult to see from the back, and most students had to strain to take notes. The teacher wasn’t as audible either, and every once in a while the students at the back would shout ‘pardon’ so that the teacher could repeat himself. The lesson lacked any chart, and the students appeared quite disinterested in about 30 minutes. Most students were staring out the window by the time the class was halfway through. Additionally, most did not appear to have the least understanding of what the teacher was talking about. They merely wrote notes. At some point, I noticed student’s passing notes to each other and giggled after that. The teacher failed to notice this and kept to the front of the class throughout the classroom session such that it was difficult to know what was happening at the back of the classroom.