Abandoning questions with unpredictable answers

Abstract

This study investigated the types of questions that prospective teachers of mathematics asked their students during whole-class discussions, how these questions changed over time, and why. Four prospective teachers were interviewed at the beginning and end of a 10-week period of student teaching to elicit their views about the kinds of questions mathematics teachers should ask. One lesson per week, for eight lessons, was video recorded for each prospective teacher. These videos were analyzed for the kinds of questions the prospective teachers asked and the nature of the responses from their high-school students. We found that the prospective teachers initially expressed the view that it was important to ask questions that required students to explain their thinking—a view that aligned with what was promoted in their teacher-preparation program—and that they attempted to ask questions with unpredictable answers in the early weeks. Over time, however, they asked fewer questions overall, with an even greater reduction in the number of questions with unpredictable answers. Interviews revealed that the prospective teachers’ views about what kinds of questions to ask were influenced, over time, by the responses of their students. The videos offered additional insights into the nature of the students’ responses.