Student-Initiated Sequences in IELTS Preparation Courses: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Gender
Keywords:
Classroom Discourse, Gender, IELTS Preparation Courses, Socioeconomic Status, Student-Initiated SequencesAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between learners’ socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and the frequency of student-initiated sequences in IELTS preparation classrooms in Iran.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quantitative correlational design within the context of IELTS preparation courses in Isfahan, Iran. The participants consisted of 40 Iranian IELTS candidates, including 21 female and 19 male learners at intermediate and upper-intermediate proficiency levels, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through classroom observations, audio recordings, and a structured socioeconomic status questionnaire. Eight IELTS instructional sessions taught by four instructors were observed and recorded. A researcher-made observational check sheet was utilized to quantify student-initiated sequences, specifically assertions and interrogatives produced independently by learners during classroom discourse. Socioeconomic status and demographic information were measured using the questionnaire developed by Ghodratnama et al. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient to examine the relationship between SES and student-initiated sequences and point-biserial correlation to analyze the relationship between gender and learner initiation.
Findings: The findings revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ socioeconomic status and the frequency of student-initiated sequences, indicating that learners from higher socioeconomic backgrounds produced more assertions and interrogatives during classroom interaction. The results suggested that socioeconomic status acted as a moderate predictor of learner participation and communicative engagement in IELTS classrooms. In contrast, the analysis demonstrated that gender was not significantly associated with the frequency of student-initiated sequences. Although a weak positive relationship emerged statistically, the association was insufficient to support the hypothesis that gender predicts learner initiation patterns in IELTS preparation contexts.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that socioeconomic status plays a significant role in shaping learner participation and classroom discourse patterns in IELTS preparation courses, whereas gender does not significantly determine student initiation behavior.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Farzaneh Rezaei Rajani (Author); Ahmadreza Lotfi; Azizeh Chalak (Author)
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