Pragmatic Features of Teachers’ Classroom Discourse: Directives, Praise, and Mitigation in Secondary Schools in Bududa District, Uganda

Abstract

This study examined the pragmatic features of teachers’ classroom discourse in secondary schools in Bududa District, Eastern Uganda. Guided by Speech Act Theory and Politeness Theory, the study explored how teachers use directives, praise, and mitigation strategies to manage classroom interaction, exercise institutional authority, and foster positive teacher–learner relationships in multilingual learning environments. A qualitative descriptive research design was adopted, and data were collected through non-participant classroom observation and semi-structured interviews involving purposively selected secondary school teachers. Findings revealed that directives constituted the most dominant speech acts in classroom interaction and were realized through both direct and mitigated forms. Praise functioned as an expressive strategy for learner motivation, behavioural reinforcement, and classroom management, while mitigation strategies such as hedging, politeness markers, and softened corrections reduced face-threatening acts during instruction and disciplinary interaction. The study further established that teachers’ pragmatic choices were influenced by pedagogical goals, institutional power relations, and sociocultural expectations within Ugandan classrooms. The findings underscore the importance of integrating pragmatic competence and classroom discourse awareness into teacher education and professional development programs in Uganda.