Clarification Requests as a Resource for Developing Student Responses in Classroom Interaction

Abstract

Classroom interaction provides opportunities for teachers and students to collaboratively develop meaning through talk. This study examines clarification requests as an interactional resource for developing student responses in classroom interaction. Drawing on Conversation Analysis (CA), the study analyses naturally occurring teacher–student interaction in classroom discourse, focusing on how participants address unclear or insufficiently specified contributions and negotiate meaning. The analysis identifies clarification requests that initiate further explanation, specify the meaning of classroom concepts, and support the development of student contributions. The findings indicate that clarification requests are used to make meanings explicit and create opportunities for students to elaborate, reformulate, and clarify their responses. The analysis also highlights instances in which students initiate clarification to seek further understanding of classroom concepts. These interactional practices demonstrate how teachers and students collaboratively develop understanding through the sequential organisation of classroom talk. The study contributes to research on classroom interaction and Conversation Analysis by highlighting clarification requests as a resource for the development of student responses and the negotiation of meaning in educational settings.