Teachers’ management of students’ incorrect answers in oral examinations

Abstract

During oral examinations, students sometimes fail to provide correct answers, which creates a challenge for examiners regarding how to respond. We know much about teacher feedback in classrooms from decades of research on IRE and IRF sequences. However, less is known about feedback in oral examination contexts. This study seeks to identify how teachers, as examiners, manage incorrect answers during oral exams in Norwegian secondary schools and how their responses affect student opportunities to display knowledge. A conversation analysis of 21 incorrect answers revealed that, in 16 cases, teachers explicitly classified answers as incorrect by using other-corrections or other-initiations of correction. In four cases, teachers implicitly classified answers as incorrect using an embedded initiation of correction. The analysis further shows that other-initiations of correction create interactional spaces for students to attempt self-correction. However, teachers’ other-corrections reduce students’ opportunities to display knowledge. These findings have implications for developing oral examination policies and training materials.