“We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication
This study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction. It is generally perceived that non-native learners particularly from high context cultures such as Thailand ha...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Hipatia Press
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Qualitative Research in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/7159 |
| _version_ | 1797800334870970368 |
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| author | Ji Hye Jaime Chung |
| author_facet | Ji Hye Jaime Chung |
| author_sort | Ji Hye Jaime Chung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction. It is generally perceived that non-native learners particularly from high context cultures such as Thailand have the tendency to remain silent during discussion sessions or when they are asked to participate in activities related to expressing their opinions. By investigating this phenomenon through focus group meetings with Thai university students, this study reveals reasons that cause students to be hesitant speakers in class through the eyes of students themselves. The results confirm that though students agree to the common perception of Asian students being quiet learners, they did not agree that they were passive learners; they emphasized the fact that they used ‘silence’ as a tool to quietly yet attentively participate. The study also highlights that students’ silence can be seen as a way to harmonize with the environment and situation which is the cultural norm in the Thai context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:33:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fee0e77492c84e078a875711bd11052f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2014-6418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:33:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Hipatia Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Qualitative Research in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-fee0e77492c84e078a875711bd11052f2023-06-19T08:30:38ZengHipatia PressQualitative Research in Education2014-64182021-02-0110110.17583/qre.2021.7159“We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and CommunicationJi Hye Jaime Chung0Mahidol University International CollegeThis study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction. It is generally perceived that non-native learners particularly from high context cultures such as Thailand have the tendency to remain silent during discussion sessions or when they are asked to participate in activities related to expressing their opinions. By investigating this phenomenon through focus group meetings with Thai university students, this study reveals reasons that cause students to be hesitant speakers in class through the eyes of students themselves. The results confirm that though students agree to the common perception of Asian students being quiet learners, they did not agree that they were passive learners; they emphasized the fact that they used ‘silence’ as a tool to quietly yet attentively participate. The study also highlights that students’ silence can be seen as a way to harmonize with the environment and situation which is the cultural norm in the Thai context.https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/7159high context culturessilencereticent conductcultural normsclassroom participation |
| spellingShingle | Ji Hye Jaime Chung “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication Qualitative Research in Education high context cultures silence reticent conduct cultural norms classroom participation |
| title | “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication |
| title_full | “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication |
| title_fullStr | “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication |
| title_full_unstemmed | “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication |
| title_short | “We Participate, Silently”: Explicating Thai University Students’ Perceptions of Their Classroom Participation and Communication |
| title_sort | we participate silently explicating thai university students perceptions of their classroom participation and communication |
| topic | high context cultures silence reticent conduct cultural norms classroom participation |
| url | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/7159 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jihyejaimechung weparticipatesilentlyexplicatingthaiuniversitystudentsperceptionsoftheirclassroomparticipationandcommunication |