Teacher Silence in Classroom Interactions (TSCI) project

We all know those moments when silence says more than words. Silence can convey meaning in its own right, and it also plays an important cognitive role. For example, pauses allow individuals to process information, reorganize their thoughts, and formulate responses. In classroom settings, research such as the well-known Wait Time studies shows that when teachers wait just three seconds, student responses tend to become longer and higher in quality (Rowe, 1986). 

However, beyond this specific concept, little is known about silence in classroom interactions. For example, are there forms of silence other than Wait Time that support learning? How can a concept like silence, often perceived as merely the absence of speech or a conversational “gap", be measured in a systematic way?

We argue that this can be achieved by examining the micro-interactions that occur in the classroom: Who speaks, and when? What is being said? Do participants signal expectations about who will speak next? What can these interactional patterns reveal about silence? Furthermore, if silence can be operationalized in this way, is it possible to train machine learning models to detect and analyse it in classroom interactions?

This project aims to address these questions. By advancing our understanding of silence, we seek to contribute to research on teaching quality and to explore its potential role in student learning.

Want to know more? Get in touch with Fenna Boerkamp (fenna.boerkampuuni-potsdampde).