Gender-Related Differences in the Performance of Request in the Algerian Classroom Discourse

Abstract

Despite extensive research on requests, a notable gap exists in understanding gender differences in Algerian classrooms. This study investigates how male and female students and teachers formulate requests during classroom interactions, using responses from a discourse completion task (DCT). The aim is to explore how gender influences the choice of request strategies and variations in directness, considering social variables such as power dynamics, social distance, and the imposition level among participants. The study identifies similarities and differences in request behaviours between male and female interactions among Algerian students, teachers, and students. Data were collected through a Discourse Completion Task featuring three scenarios of classroom interactions, involving 115 male and female participants. The findings indicate that gender significantly influences the selection of request strategies and levels among Algerian students and teachers. Female students and teachers tended to employ more indirect request strategies compared to males, who typically preferred direct approaches across all scenarios. Furthermore, the study reveals that the degree of directness varied for both genders based on socio-cultural factors such as power dynamics, social distance, imposition levels, and religious norms prevalent in Algerian society. The research highlights that students generally opt for conventional indirect strategies when making requests to teachers. In contrast, direct requests are more commonly used when individuals of equal social status interact or when the requester holds a higher status than the respondent. This study contributes new insights into the impact of gender and socio-cultural factors on request strategies and politeness in Algerian classroom discourse, enriching cross-cultural pragmatics and classroom discourse studies.