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Teacher–Student Discourse in English-Speaking Lessons in Secondary Schools: An Investigation Using Epistemic Network Analysis
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DOI：10.1007/s40299-026-01139-5.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The purpose of the study is twofold: first, to describe the characteristics of classroom discourse and, second, to identify and explore the different interactive sequences that can be captured with a sequential statistical analysis. The purpose of the study is twofold: first, to describe the characteristics of classroom discourse and, second, to identify and explore the different interactive sequences that can be captured with a sequential statistical analysis. This study investigated the characteristics of teacher–student activities in English-speaking lessons within the specific context of Vietnamese secondary schools. Data were collected through classroom observations and video recordings of 26 lessons (1157 min) across six public secondary schools to capture a rich description of current pedagogical practices. Specifically, the study employs Epistemic Network Analysis, underpinned by the Initiation-Response-Feedback framework, as a way of providing a nuanced mapping of pedagogical strategies. The results indicate that a teacher-centric instructional model remains prevalent, with over half of the total lesson time characterized by teacher dominance. While teachers primarily engaged in explaining and reinforcing content, students were observed to participate mainly through recalling prior knowledge and summarizing information, suggesting a limited scope for communicative interaction. These patterns suggest that a traditional Initiation-Response-Evaluation pedagogical framework continues to exert a considerable impact on classroom practice, despite the national orientation toward more communicative approaches. Furthermore, a notable difference was found between the epistemic networks of early-career and experienced teachers. While experienced teachers utilized more diverse feedback strategies, such as conceptual reinforcement, early-career teachers showed a tendency to rely on narrow, recall-based quizzes, a finding that highlights the pressures and constraints shaping novice teachers’ early experiences in the Vietnamese EFL context. Therefore, this study sheds more light on the complexities of classroom interaction and provides findings that are valuable for informing targeted professional development and teacher training programs designed to enhance students' speaking competence.
Keywords:
Speaking English as a foreign language
Classroom discourse
Teacher–student dialogues
Epistemic network analysis (ENA)
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