The role of initiation-response-feedback (IRF) sequences in organizing learning during a college educational choir's rehearsals

I employ interaction analysis alongside ideas of turn-taking, sequence, and structure from conversation analysis to analyze how a conductor organizes rehearsals for an educational choir. As learning happens, the conductor uses a particular sequence while also modifying the structure of a rehearsal which reflects that learning and promotes further learning. I investigate the research question: In the context of an educational college choir, how does the conductor interactionally deploy Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) sequences to accomplish choir learning by sequentially and structurally organizing rehearsal? My findings demonstrate the key components of a successful initiation, the construction of feedback, and the role of each of these while the response was ongoing. I discuss how sequences are used together to create the overall structure of a rehearsal, and how that overall structure changes as the students rehearse the piece, namely that the “response” aspect of the IRF sequence gets longer. These findings highlight the variety of ways the IRF sequence is differently instantiated outside of the traditional academic classroom.