ABSTRACT: This study aims to document undergraduate students’ patterns of participation in Malaysian classrooms. Interviews and observations were carried out. Around 85 students from two communication classes were observed over the period of two semesters (28 weeks). Most of the participants fell between the age of 18-19 years old (65.8%) and 66.7% of the participants were female, while 33.3% were male. Around 24 students from the two classes were interviewed. Four basic patterns of participation emerged from the data: (1) active participation, (2) selective participation, (3) minimal participation, and (4) passive participation. It was also found that students’ individual participation pattern could be influenced a myriad of factors, thus making their participation patterns flexible. This research demonstrated that the participatory roles students took in class could move along the participation continuum; from the most active to the least active. Recommendations are offered to promote students’ participation in the context of higher learning. Educators need to strive towards providing a more supportive, non-threatening, and open learning environment where students would feel comfortable in letting their voice be heard while knowing when to be quiet so they can reap benefits from both behaviours.

KEY WORDS: Classroom participation, participation patterns, undergraduate students, open learning environment, and participative behaviours.

About the Authors: Siti Maziha Mustapha is an Assistant Professor at the School of Communication and Language Studies KLIUCM (Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College Malaysia); and Nik Suryani Nik Abd Rahman is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education IIUM (International Islamic University of Malaysia). They can be reached at: maziha@kliuc.edu.my and nsuryani@iium.edu.my

How to cite this article? Mustapha, Siti Maziha & Nik Suryani Nik Abd Rahman. (2011). “Classroom Participation Patterns: A Case Study of Malaysian Undergraduate Students” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies, Vol.3(2) February, pp.145-158. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java; and FKIP UMP in Purwokerto, Central Java, ISSN 1979-7877.

Chronicle of the article: Accepted (December 6, 2010); Revised (January 9, 2011); and Published (February 17, 2011).

Astin, A. (1993). What Matters in College: Four Critical Years Revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Caspi, A. et al. (2006). “The Influence of Personality on Social Participation in Learning Environments” in Learning and Individual Differences, 16(2), pp.129-144.

Cunningham, D.L. (2004). “Breaking the Silence: A Study of a Regular Classroom and a Computer-Mediated Session”. Retrieved from Proquest Digital Dissertations. [Accessed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 30 May 2010].

Fassinger, P.A. (1995). “Professors' and Students' Perceptions of Why Students Participate in Class” in Teaching Sociology, 24, pp.25-33.

Fritschner, L.M. (2000) “Inside the Undergraduate College Classroom: Faculty and Students Differ on the Meaning of Student Participation” in The Journal of Higher Education, 71(May/June), pp.342-362.

Interview Records with Undergraduate Students. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia.

Karp, D.A. & W.C. Yoels. (1976). “The College Classroom: Some Observations on the Meaning of Student Participation” in Sociology and Social Research, 60, pp.421-439.

Krupnick, C.G. (1985). “Women and Men in the Classroom: Inequality and its Remedies” in On Teaching and Learning, 24, pp.18-25.

Lam, C. (1994). “American Group Discussion Patterns as Viewed by ESL Students: The Turn-Taking Behaviour of Eight Chinese Students Studying in America” in ERIC Document Reproduction Service, No.ED379931.

Liew, Hui Choo. (2009). “An Investigation into the Factors Affecting Second Language Learners’ Classroom Participation”. Unpublished Ph.D. Degree Dissertation. Shah Alam, Malaysia: UTM [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia].

Liu, J. (2001). Asian Students’ Classroom Communication Patterns in U.S. Universities: An Emic Perspective. Wesport CT, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.

Morgenstern, L. (1992). Action and Inaction: Student and Teacher Roles in Classroom Participation. Michigan, USA: Michigan Technological University, ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 346 534.

Nunn, C.E. (1996). “Discussion in the College Classroom: Triangulating Observational and Survey Results” in Journal of Higher Education. 67(3), pp.243-267.

Pawan, F. (1995). “Malaysian and American Professorial Expectations: A Comparative Study”. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana, USA: Indiana University, Retrieved from Dissertation Abstracts International, 56, 430.

Tatar, S. (2005). “Why Keep Silent? The Classroom Participation Experiences of Non-Native-English-Speaking Students” in Language and Intercultural Communication, 5, pp.284-293.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). “Mind in Society” in M. Cole et al. [eds]. The Development of Higher Psychological Process. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wambach, C. & T. Brothen. (1997). “Teacher Self-Disclosure and Student Classroom Participation Revisited” in Teaching of Psychology, 24, pp.262-263.

Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 9th edition.

Zainal Abidin Sayadi. (2007). “An Investigation into First Year Engineering Students’ Oral Classroom Participation: A Case Study”. Unpublished Master Thesis. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: UTM [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia].