Abstracts - Earli

H630 August 2007 11:00 - 12:20Room: PP6Poster SessionPoster sessionChair:Kirsti Lonka, University of Helsinki, FinlandMeta-pragmatic talk with and between children as enhancing learningHana Avni, "The Kibbutzim College of Education and "The Hebre, IsraelThe aim of this research is to highlight the importance of meta-pragmatic talk as a promoter ofsocial and academic learning. The research presented is part of a longitudinal study on thedevelopment discourse skills of children in two age groups (4-7 and 9-11): (Blum-Kulka, 2004).The data were collected in two situations - natural peer talk and half-structured interviews withadults. Meta-pragmatic discourse is defined as the feedback which speakers provide to their ownas well as to others’ language behavior. This meta-pragmatic discourse examines, reviews, andcomments on the correctness and exactness of words and expressions. Therefore, meta-pragmaticdiscourse is an expression of the ability to criticize human thinking and behavior – and as such, isrelated to literacy. Metapragmatic comments identified in the data were coded in three fields: a)talk about discourse management, b) meta-linguistic talk (Blum-Kulka, 1997; Aukrust, 2001) andc) reported speech. (Aukrust, 2001). The results show that the children from both groups and inboth situations prefer to talk about discourse management as their first choice and meta-linguistictalk as their second choice. Qualitative analyses reveal that meta-pragmatic talk deals with threesubjects; the mechanisms of conversation, dialogicity (Hamo & Blum-Kulka, in print) and literacy.The research suggests directions on how to use meta-pragmatic discourse to encourage social andacademic learning.Why becoming a teacher? Motivation for enrolling in a Post Graduate Teacher Education(PGCE) programDag Roness, Norwegian Teacher Academy, NorwayKari Smith, University in Bergen, Norway, NorwayThe present study is the first part of a longitudinal research project that will examine teacherstudent’s motivation for the PGCE course and their motivation to become teachers. The populationis full time PGCE students at the universities in Norway who (N=283) responded to aquestionnaire in the beginning of their PGCE course in august 2006. This first part of the studyfocuses on the students’ view on the PGCE course and the teaching profession. The students wereasked why they want to be teachers and what kinds of expectations they have for the PGCEcourse. The analysis is still in progress, but preliminary findings show that the students aremotivated both for the PGCE course and for the teaching profession. They start their studies with apositive attitude to the PGCE course which they find is needed in order to be confident in theteacher role. They are looking forward to become teachers. Yet the most important motivatorseems to be their personal interest in their individual subjects. The results are analyzed in relationto motivational theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The main theoretical framework isDeci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (1985) Reference Deci, E. D. & Ryan, R. M. (1985)Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum Press.– 455 –