Discourse Analysis in Educational Settings
Summary
Discourse analysis in educational settings examines how language and communication shape teaching, learning and institutional practices. By exploring classroom talk, written exchanges and digital interactions, scholars reveal the ways in which educators and learners co-construct knowledge, positions of authority and social identities. Approaches range from conversation analysis, which dissects turn-taking and repair sequences in teacher-student dialogues, to critical discourse analysis, which uncovers power relations embedded in curricular texts and policy documents. Multimodal discourse analysis extends this focus to gestures, visual resources and digital artefacts, highlighting how meaning is negotiated across modes. Globally, research has illuminated how discourse practices influence inclusion, equity and student engagement—whether in multilingual classrooms, STEM laboratories or online learning platforms. Findings inform teacher training, curriculum design and institutional policy, offering concrete strategies for fostering dialogic learning, supporting culturally and linguistically diverse learners, and leveraging digital media to enrich pedagogical interaction.
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Discourse Analysis in Educational Settings publication trend
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Technical terms
Discourse analysis: The study of language use in context, focusing on how communicative practices produce meaning and social relations.
Positioning theory: A framework for examining how interlocutors claim, assign or negotiate rights and duties through discourse, thereby shaping identities and power dynamics.
Multimodal discourse analysis: An approach that investigates meaning-making across multiple semiotic modes, such as speech, gesture, image and digital media.
Translanguaging: A pedagogical practice in which bilingual or multilingual learners draw on all their linguistic resources to construct meaning and participate fully in classroom activities.
References
- Teachers’ construction of their roles and responsibilities for inclusive language practices with multilingual parents - a case from Norway. Language and Education (2023).
- A theoretical review on the interplay among EFL teachers’ professional identity, agency, and positioning. Heliyon (2023).
- “I Should Only Use One Language”: A Case Study of Spanish-Speaking Emergent Bilingual Students’ Translanguaging Experiences in a Middle School Science Classroom. Education Sciences (2024).
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