Students’ power relations in the college English language classrooms and their effect on learning

This study reports the results of power relation established among students in the English language classroom and their effect on learning.A descriptive-qualitative research design was employed to particularly explore the power relations among 49 English language major students in one government higher learning institution in the region.Data were gathered through observations, interviews, and video recordings.Results show that the observed power relation established among the English language major students were identified based on the pattern of behavior they displayed during the observation phase.These include submissive or neutral, dominant and marginalized.The students established these power relations through the display of high self-confidence by the dominant students through their tone of voice and feeling of being powerful, and their display of positive or negative image based on the role performed by the students either as the controller or the controlled, and active or passive.The effect of power relations on students' learning was seen in the way power relations disturbed students' concentration in class, hindered their participation, and affected the students' motivation to learn.