Oracy in higher education: exploring understandings of ‘participation’ in classroom talk

Developing and applying students' spoken language and communication (oracy) is crucial for universities, aligning with several current agendas. What constitutes productive oral participation in a diverse and inclusive educational setting is open to interpretation, however. To develop insights into university teachers’ and students’ understandings of oracy and participation in classroom settings, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted, comprising world café discussions and interviews in two English universities. The analysis of the interview data found that university teachers and students understood oracy and oral participation differently, influenced in part by specific disciplinary thinking. The data highlight the pull of performative and standardised views of language, particularly felt by students, and the unfulfilled potential for deeper transformation. These findings aim to support university teachers in further developing their understanding of the potential of oracy, both within and beyond their discipline’s demands, to empower students to engage fully in their post-university civic lives.