Investigating the Interaction Types and Instructional Proxemics in Information Technology Enhanced Exemplary Lessons

The application of information technology in the classroom is not a new thing. There have been many studies on the impact of information technology on teachers' teaching and students' learning. However, few studies focus on how information technology affects classroom interaction and instructional proxemics. In this study, 43 exemplary lessons with the application of information technology in teaching were analyzed to investigate the interaction types and instructional proxemics, as well as the relationship between them. The results show that the interaction between students and tools or environment is the most frequent among student-centered interactions. Instructional proxemics shows that teachers spend nearly one-third of their classroom time in the student area. There are significant differences in the spatial location of teachers for different types of classroom interaction. Finally, teachers interacted most with students who were at a social distance, followed by the public, personal, and intimate distance. This study not only makes up for the gap in the research of classroom interaction and instructional proxemics under the environment supported by information technology but also provides a reference for novice teachers to use instructional proxemics to carry out interactive teaching.