Teacher Communication in Bruneian Secondary Science Classes: Wait-Time

A study was undertaken to (a) explain the wait-time that reflects the cognitiveprocesses involved in the construction and reconstruction of knowledge in interpretingquestions and then providing responses and (b) compare the mean wait-time taken bystudents with the wait-time intended by teachers, in both theory and practical classes inBruneian secondary schools. The recorded wait-time was explained using theconstruction and reconstruction model of human learning proposed by Anderson andDemetrius (1993). Wait-time differences between the theory and practical classes werefound to be statistically significant. There was also a significant variation in the waittimefor three different categories of response to the questions - viz. responses by thewhole class, an individual student, andthe teacher. The mean wait-time data recorded inthis study resembles that previously reported elsewhere. However, the wait-time for nonbilingualBruneian students learning science in a second language includes a componentfor language translation, which occurs during both the knowledge construction andreconstruction phases. Further research is recommended to (a) evaluate the optimumwait-time under the conditions that prevail in Bruneian science classes and (b) modify theexisting information-processing model or to develop new models to explain knowledgeconstruction and reconstruction in classes where non-bilingual students learn science in asecond language.