Does engaging in social interactions improve engagement in classroom discussion?

This study investigated the effect of social interaction on levels of involvement in classroom discussions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Data was collected from a cohort of level one learners aged between sixteen and nineteen, who answered questionnaires at the beginning and end of the research, as well as participating in a focus group at the end. The learners took part in a weekly Venn diagram activity and were provided with a different discussion topic each week. The learners took part in pairs that rotated each week to ensure all learners in the group had spoken with each other. The overall analysis of the data indicates that an increase in social interaction had a positive effect on engagement in class discussions. The findings suggest that when learners felt psychologically safe in the classroom, engagement increased. Moving forward it would be beneficial for subsequent research to investigate this over the course of the whole academic year and to account for the limitations found within this current study.