Abstract
Classroom questioning can be considered a key factor in the promotion of student engagement. This case study explored classroom questioning practices and perceptions of a group of 47 first-year law students and their teacher. Eight lessons of 90 min were observed and audio-recorded and afterward the students and the teacher answered a questionnaire. The teacher was also interviewed. Researchers examined the number and type of questions asked by the teacher and by the students in the classroom and analyzed the students’ and the teacher’s perceptions about the importance of classroom questioning. Results indicated that the teacher and most students consider questioning important or very important for student learning. The number of questions posed by students as opposed to by their teacher was not balanced, as the teacher was responsible for 93% of the questions. The analysis of the type of questions posed by the teacher and by the students showed a predominance of low-order questions. Therefore, classroom questioning in this case study did not seem to promote students’ autonomous thinking. The current study suggests the importance of examining the teacher and students’ patterns of questioning together, analyzing its similarities and discrepancies.
Highlights
Colleges and universities are challenged to adopt teaching and learning methods that promote students’ agency and autonomy, as well as high levels of thinking skills and student engagement (Pedrosa-de-Jesus et al, 2012)
The current study expands upon existing literature by simultaneously examining the use of questioning by the teacher and their students
Besides the analysis of the typology of the questions posed by the teachers and by the students, the questionnaire allowed researchers to analyze participants’ perceptions about the value they attributed to teacher’s and students’ questioning, and the interview enabled them to collect relevant data about teacher perceptions of classroom questioning, reflecting from data from his own classes
Summary
Colleges and universities are challenged to adopt teaching and learning methods that promote students’ agency and autonomy, as well as high levels of thinking skills and student engagement (Pedrosa-de-Jesus et al, 2012). The stimulation of higher cognitive processes and critical reasoning skills is an important educational issue This conveys implications for teachers’ professional development (Maphosa and Wadesango, 2016). Literature showed that different levels and types of questions (Logtenberg et al, 2011) can lead to different questioning patterns in the classroom and lead to different outcomes in the teaching and learning process (Noor et al, 2012). The current study expands upon existing literature by simultaneously examining the use of questioning by the teacher and their students It examines questioning practices and perceptions, enabling the joint analysis of teacher and students questions in the classroom and their perceptions about the importance of questioning. This research analyses the ways a university teacher and their first-year undergraduate law students use questions during lectures and practical lessons, and responds to the need for further research about domain-specific questioning processes (Logtenberg, 2012)
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