Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the discourse through IRE (Intervention-Response-Evaluation) in the co-construction of knowledge of Biology students during laboratory practices by applying the SDIS-GSEQ software to assess IRE discourse patterns developed during the same. The study group consisted of second semester students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM. This process included audiovisual records of the practice, the creation of an instrument where a categories system and verbal sub-systems are put together with sub-categories to be defined based on the discourse and IRE structure; then this audiovisual records and the obtained category pattern were used to apply the SDIS-GSEQ software which was in charge of establishing the category sequences created in the interaction between teachers and students during the practice. The obtained results show IRE discourse patterns demonstrating that students prefer to use reproducible and dependent practice manual structures, instead of thoughtful and non-cognitive structures where their knowledge about the practice content is involved; the study also demonstrates that the SDIS-GSEQ software is a useful tool for the research of these patterns. Therefore, we propose to modify the IRE structure in order to create better conditions in the construction of knowledge between students and teachers by using a IRF (Initiation-Response-Feedback) pattern leading to feedback, negotiation and co-construction of knowledge so as to improve the Teaching-Learning process during laboratory practices.

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