Dialogkompetens i skolans vardag - Publikationer - LTU - Luleå ...

dialogue requires the existence of different environmental conditions. Previous
studies have shown that external structures in the form of hearing technology and
a furniture ring framed the conditions of communication (Ahlström & Preisler,
1998). In a pilot study, eight pupils described their experiences of different technological
solutions. The pupils stated that more flexible solutions contributed to
their taking greater responsibility for the classroom communication (Wennergren,
2004). The pupils’ perception of hearing technology having been made visible,
they were able to influence further work for the purpose of increasing pupils’ activity
in the dialogue between pupils.
Study I
Research question: How do pupils describe their choice of the best listening environment
in school?
In the study the data production was carried out with the aid of the teachers participating
in the project. The teachers asked their pupils to draw and explain their
best listening environments in the school in order to take part in a group conversation
with four people. The material analysed consisted of 165 pictures with attached
written explanations. The result showed that the listening role required four
environmental conditions: an arranged sound environment, possibilities of visual
support, conversation rules and a comfortable environment. The result also
showed that some pupils were unable to express their own listening strategies but
nonetheless used different strategies that would also be possible to convey to others
in their class community (cf. Gullacksen, 2002).
One conclusion was that pupils of all ages needed to get more opportunities to
name environmental conditions for being able to assume an active listening role.
The pupils’ listening strategies, or absence of listening strategies, affected their
self-images and in the long term their identity development. In practice this means
that all adults and all pupils irrespective of age should be ‘forced’ to verbalise
their conscious listening strategies, train to find words for not yet formulated ones,
and be allowed to listen to others’ strategies. Since not all pupils had a conscious
attitude in these matters, the study showed the importance of increasing pupils’
participation.
It is not enough to attend a hard-of-hearing class in order to develop listening
strategies; the issue of prerequisites for pupils’ active listening has to be constantly
present. Failure to work for the improvement of the pupils’ oral dialogue
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