STUDENT-STUDENT INTERACTION DURING GROUP WORK TASKS IN HOME ECONOMICS LESSONS

Collaborative learning is emphasized in the new National Curriculum in Estonia. Subject teachers are more than ever expected to offer learning tasks where students can actively participate; think together and find solutions through active collaboration. Students do not learn when they simply work together in a group, rather when they are engaged in various forms of pedagogical interaction. New analytical tools are needed to identify the various forms of interaction during home economics lessons, and especially when students are engaged in collaborative tasks. The impact of interaction on learning has been previously studied in several contexts, mainly in studies related to second language learning but also in other subjects. In this article number of alternative approaches and particular tools for investigating classroom interaction on different levels and various viewpoints are introduced and compared. As a result, suitable method of analysis is recommended for investigating the socio-cultural student-student interactions during home economics lessons.