Revealing the interactional features of learning and teaching moments in outdoor activity

Abstract

The data considered in this article was generated as part of a doctoral research study entitled: A sociocultural consideration of child-initiated interaction with teachers in indoor and outdoor spaces (Waters 2011) where child-initiated, teacher–child interaction in indoor and outdoor spaces were investigated. The purpose of the secondary analysis was twofold; firstly to explore, more deeply, the establishment of intersubjectivity between teacher and child in educative interaction, particularly in episodes that support and extend thinking. Secondly, the secondary analysis was to consider the role of the environment in such episodes. Through investigating the selected interactions using conversation analysis, it is revealed that children talk their environment into being (Heritage 1978) through the initiation of an interaction using a wh type question. Also, the child's initiation of an interaction regarding the environment sequentially offers the teacher an opportunity to engage in a sustained, affiliated interaction with the child via the mobilized topic.