This study investigates the components within teacher questioning and how they affect communication within the mathematics classroom. Components examined are the type of question, the amount of wait time allowed, the use of follow-up questions, and the instructional setting. The three types of questions analyzed in this study were highorder, low-order, and follow-up questions. High-order questions are defined as questions which promote analysis, synthesis or evaluation of information versus low-order questions which only seek procedural or knowledge of basic recall of information. The third type of question, follow-up, is the second question asked of a student when the initial question is not answered or answered incorrectly. This study observed video of three teachers from three different adjacent school districts. Upon watching three lessons of each teacher and recording data, conclusions were made. All three teachers were found to use low-order questions at least 50% of the time during instruction. Wait time following high-order questions met the minimum three second time as suggested from previous researchers. Follow-up questions were found to occur more frequently after high-order questions, but followed similar trends as stated above related to the type of question asked. Instructional setting does differ in the types of questions asked with a small group setting more likely to elicit high-order questions than a whole group setting. The researcher concluded that high-order questions with a minimum of three seconds wait time in a small group setting encourage communication within the mathematics classroom.

The nurturing of critical thinking skills is one of the cornerstones of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). This study investigated to what extent teachers create classroom climates that nurture the development of critical thinking abilities. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the importance and nature of the development of critical thinking skills, and to establish the relationship between classroom climate and the development of critical thinking abilities. The use of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques, the role of the teacher and the role of the learner during teaching and learning in the classroom were explored. The literature review provided the conceptual framework for the study, as well as the framework for designing a questionnaire that was utilized to obtain the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding the opportunities provided by teachers for the development of critical thinking abilities in the classroom. By means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive survey research, a self-constructed questionnaire was administrated to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Grade 9 and Grade 11 teachers (n=241) and learners (n=403) in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Department of Education. The triangulation of learner and teacher data revealed differences and similarities in opinion related to the classroom climates that teachers create for nurturing critical thinking. In essence, the data revealed that teachers are, to some extent, creating classroom climates that nurture critical thinking through their choice of teaching methods and strategies, questioning techniques and the learning activities that they choose. However, the responses did not convincingly indicate to the researcher that the nurturing of critical thinking skills takes place on a regular and frequent basis. According to the learner responses, it appeared that teaching and learning methods and strategies that promote interactive learning, are underutilized by the teachers. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to create classroom climates that promote the development of critical thinking skills. Key words: cognition, cognitive development, critical thinking, classroom climate, teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques. / M.Ed., North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

The nurturing of critical thinking skills is one of the cornerstones of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). This study investigated to what extent teachers create classroom climates that nurture the development of critical thinking abilities. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the importance and nature of the development of critical thinking skills, and to establish the relationship between classroom climate and the development of critical thinking abilities. The use of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques, the role of the teacher and the role of the learner during teaching and learning in the classroom were explored. The literature review provided the conceptual framework for the study, as well as the framework for designing a questionnaire that was utilized to obtain the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding the opportunities provided by teachers for the development of critical thinking abilities in the classroom. By means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive survey research, a self-constructed questionnaire was administrated to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Grade 9 and Grade 11 teachers (n=241) and learners (n=403) in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Department of Education. The triangulation of learner and teacher data revealed differences and similarities in opinion related to the classroom climates that teachers create for nurturing critical thinking. In essence, the data revealed that teachers are, to some extent, creating classroom climates that nurture critical thinking through their choice of teaching methods and strategies, questioning techniques and the learning activities that they choose. However, the responses did not convincingly indicate to the researcher that the nurturing of critical thinking skills takes place on a regular and frequent basis. According to the learner responses, it appeared that teaching and learning methods and strategies that promote interactive learning, are underutilized by the teachers. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to create classroom climates that promote the development of critical thinking skills. Key words: cognition, cognitive development, critical thinking, classroom climate, teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques. / M.Ed., North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

This diploma thesis Formative Assessment in Primary School Education deals mainly with the classroom assessment, which provides the pupils with purposeful feedback on their learning at the time when their performance can still be improved. It is a very frequent assessment of pupil's progress. The first part of this diploma thesis deals with classroom assessment and describes the different types of assessment, its forms and tools. After embedding formative assessment to the context of classroom assessment, the thesis deals with the definition of this term and it closely clarifies its history, different approaches, and it especially specifies the use of formative assessment in practice. Part of the text, which is concerned with formative assessment strategies, closely explains concepts such as feedback, dealing with mistakes, questioning or peer-feedback. Major part of this work is dedicated to formative assessment techniques, which may function as a collection of valuable ideas and recommendations for teachers about working with pupils and assessing them in class. The second part of this diploma thesis presents an empirical research concerned with assessment of two teachers of Social Science and Czech language and literature at the selected primary school. Through case-study are examined these: in...