The purpose of this case study was to find out how a science teacher employs questions and follow up moves in classroom discourse to facilitate students’ thinking and help them construct scientific knowledge. The study was conducted in a large class setting where the medium of instruction was English although the students were non-native speakers of the language. The teacher participant teaches Year 10 chemistry classes in a Singapore Secondary school. Several lessons covering two topics were observed from one of his classes. / Six lesson episodes that involve a series of teacher-students IRF exchanges were selected from the verbal transcripts of classroom discourse for discussion. These episodes were analyzed interpretively using an analytical framework adapted from Chin’s study. Particular attention was paid to two key aspects of the discourse which facilitated students’ thinking about the scientific concepts, as manifested by students’ verbal responses. These include the initial teacher question and teacher follow up moves in response to the students’ answers. / The findings propose that the use of higher order thinking question (initial question) together with supportive follow up moves facilitate students’ thinking about the scientific concepts at complex cognitive processes such as inferring, comparing, predicting, analyzing and evaluating. Supportive follow up moves involve applying follow up questions that require students to perform various functions such as clarify, elaborate or justify their answers. In addition, the use of these follow up moves can assist the teacher to shift discourse practices towards a class-based discussion. The thesis concludes by suggesting practical advice for science teachers regarding teacher questioning in classroom discourse to facilitate students’ thinking, and providing several recommendations for future research.

This study characterizes teacher questions in order to look at student discussion resulting from those questions in whole class discussion of claims and evidence following an experiment from grade 2 through 6. This study found an increase in discussion following teacher questions oriented around development of student ideas or clarification of ideas and a decrease in discussion oriented around developing a teacher idea with increasing grade level.

This study examined the differences and patterns for three categories between an argument-based inquiry group and a traditional group over the period of the SWH (Science Writing Heuristic) project: (1) teacher talk time, (2) structure of questions (question types), and (3) student responses. The participating teachers were chosen randomly by a convenient sampling method because the data were collected previously from the SWH project. Each group had thirty teachers. A total of sixty teachers participated in the study. Student responses were part of the study to evaluate the effect of open-ended question types but students were not direct participants in the study. Each teacher was asked to send a recorded video clip of their class at the end of each semester (spring and fall) over two years. Each teacher sent four video clips for the project. A total of two hundred forty video clips was analyzed to gather the information regarding the three categories. The first category was teacher talk time. It was measured in seconds only when teachers interacted with students with the topic. The second category was the structure of questions (question types). It consisted of two question types (open-ended and close-ended). Under the open-ended question category, there were three sub-question types: (1) asking for explanation (AE), (2) asking for self-evaluation of reasoning (AF), and (3) asking for self-evaluation of others' reasoning (AFO). Under the close-ended question category, there were two sub-question types: (1) asking for factual information (AI) and (2) asking for confirmation (AC). Each sub- question type was counted numerically. The last category was student responses. Student responses consisted of higher-order thinking and lower-order thinking. Under the higher-order thinking category, there were three sub-types: (1) explanation responses (E), (2) self-evaluation of reasoning responses (SE), and (3) self-evaluation of others' reasoning responses (SEO). Under the lower-order thinking category, there was one sub-type: simple responses (S). Each sub type was counted numerically. Based on the descriptive results (the length of teacher talk time in seconds, the number of question types, and the number of student responses), repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to find any differences and patterns for teacher talk time, structure of questions and student responses between the treatment and control groups over the period of the project and across time (four different time points). The results showed that there were clear differences for teacher talk time, the structure of questions, and student responses between the treatment and control groups over the period of the project and across time. The treatment group teachers talked less and used more open-ended questions than the control group teachers. The treatment group students displayed more higher-order thinking responses than the control group students.

This study investigated teacher questioning practices and rationales in released-time seminary classes for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church of Jesus Christ or the Church). Seminary teachers focus their questions on helping students learn course principles, value those principles, and apply them to their lives by discussing potential actions that can be taken by students outside of class. The purpose of this study was to observe and interview teachers relative to their questions and questioning practices in class and the reasoning and rational they explain underlying those practices. The resultant findings indicate the specific questioning principles and practices participants used to target cognitive, affective, and social/behavioral outcomes. Further, the analysis of the data yielded a descriptive model of multidimensional questioning that both describes and depicts teacher questioning in seminary and informs future instructional practice, training, and research of teacher questioning

This study examined the effects of professional development in the form of a teacher study group and a particular discussion approach, Collaborative Reasoning (CR) (Anderson, et al., 2001) upon teachers' questioning and students' levels of thinking during discussion of text. The study explored how five middle school teachers achieved a deeper understanding of teachers' authentic questioning and the facilitation of CR discussion. The Formative and Design Experiment (FandDE) framework was used in this investigation. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Teachers coded transcripts of one baseline and four CR discussions for each teacher. Transcripts were coded for teachers' CR instructional moves, CR features incorporated by the students in discussion, and the levels of thinking supporting students' responses. Data indicated that the nature of discussions progressed from recitation to more dialogical discussion patterns. Teachers implemented more authentic questioning, and students were observed to use more higher-order thinking in the responses. Students discourse showed a higher incidence of exploratory talk and uptake. Students used multiple kinds of evidence from personal experience, texts, and knowledge from previous reading/lecture/discussion to support their arguments. The data suggest that the implementation of a specific discussion model may enhance teachers' questioning and encourage students to engage in higher-order thinking and reasoning when discussing text. / Ph. D.

This diploma thesis deals with a question as a part of educational communication. The aim of the thesis is to analyze educational dialogue at primary school with an emphasis on the function, frequency and type of teachers' and pupils' questions. The first part of the thesis explores the theoretical background of function, frequency and typology of questions. It involves also the topic of the waiting time after asking a question, identifying the pupil who should answer, the quality of pupil's answer as well as teacher's response to it. The theoretical background is complemented by research based on analyses of three video records of lessons and interviews with teachers. One of the key findings of the research is that teacher's style of questioning is determined by his conception of teaching and the aims set.

Recent scholarly work in mathematics education has included a focus on learning mathematics with understanding (Hiebert & Carpenter, 1992; Hiebert et al., 1997; Fennema & Romberg, 1999; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000). Hiebert et al. (1997) discussed two processes that they suggested increase understanding and that are central to this study: reflection and communication. Learning mathematics with understanding requires that the students create a deeper knowledge of mathematics through reflection and communication. The environment in which such learning can take place must include patterns of behavior, known as social norms that promote deeper thinking. When the social norms encourage reflection and communication among the members of the classroom community, or supports learning with understanding, it becomes what I term a productive discourse community. The purpose of this study is to find out what a teacher does to create and maintain a productive discourse community where students can reason and learn with understanding. To accomplish this purpose, this research asks the following question: In what ways does the teacher in the study direct mathematical discourse in order to facilitate understanding? To answer this research question, data was gathered from eight class periods. The classroom discourse was analyzed and six discourse generating tools were found to be used by the teacher: (1) using lower-order questions to engage students, (2) persisting in eliciting students' reasoning, (3) encouraging as many student participations as possible, (4) encouraging students to analyze and evaluate each other's comments, (5) encouraging students to share as many strategies as possible and (6) using a focusing discourse pattern. There were also three social norms found to be established in the classroom at the time of the data collection. These norms are: all students are expected to (a) participate (b) share their reasoning when called upon, and (c) listen to, analyze, and evaluate each other's comments. Through further analysis, it was found that the six discourse generating tools reinforced the social norms, while the social norms supported the six discourse generating tools. Thus creating an environment where reflection and communication occurred in a way that promoted learning mathematics with understanding.

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