Development of Pre-Service Teachers’ Questioning Practice Through Self-Analysis

Stephanie B. PhilippUniversity of Louisville

andMelissa L. Shirley

University of Louisville

Model for Focus of Study

This study examines pre-service teacher’s analysis of classroom

discourse.

Research Questions

1. What do PSTs choose to analyze about questioning?

2. What strategies do PSTs suggest to improve questioning practice?

Study Context

25 middle/secondary science methods students

13 enrolled in alternative certification program (working as full-time teachers) and

12 traditional Certification program (30-hour field placement during semester)

Data Collection

Audio-tape and transcribe a 10-minute segment of whole-class discussion

Choose two aspects of questioning

Propose strategies for self-improvement

Upload student work to secure course management system

Data Analysis

Starting with questioning skill categories from the literature, two coders independently coded a subsample of analyses

Additional codes emerged

Codes were reconciled and applied to remainder of transcript analyses

The process was repeated for proposed strategy categories

Whole-Class Questioning Skill Examples

Questions requiring higher order thinking (HOT) Redfield & Rousseau (1981); Gall (1984)

Awareness of processing time (Rowe, 1974)

Recognition of participation by all students (Tobin & Gallagher, 1987)

Questioning Aspect Codes (RQ1) Higher Order Thinking (HOT)

Bloom’s Taxonomy Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

Wait Time Participation By All Engagement Follow-up Classroom Affect

Questioning Aspects Analyzed by PST

Questioning Aspect Traditional Certification PST

Alternative Certification PST

HOT 11 8

Wait Time 2 2

Engagement 6 2

Participation by All 1 6

Follow-up 3 6

Classroom Affect 1 2

Total 24 26

Number of PSTs 12 13

What did PSTs write about their questioning aspects?

Questioning Aspects: Traditional Certification Program PST

“I did not realize I asked low-

level questions during the entire

class until analyzing this

transcript.” (08HSTrad)

Questioning Aspects: Alternative Certification Program PST

“Without high-quality responses from students, the connections they are able to make to the subject matter is severely limited…This problem goes hand in hand with my lack of high-order questions.” (28HSAlt)

Questioning Aspects: Alternative Certification Program PST

“ It is difficult to address questions with a

class where only a small portion of the

students can hear.  I cannot give

students enough wait time to ponder

questions because I spend any down

time addressing discipline.” (05MSAlt)

Questioning Aspects: Alternative Certification Program PST

“I spent almost two of ten minutes waiting

for my class to quiet down to the point

where we could finish discussion. This is

far too much instructional time.”

(17MSAlt)

Selection of Questioning Aspects

Assertion 1

Teaching context may affect the

focus of the PST’s choice for

analysis.

Strategies Proposed for Improvement of Practice

Strategies Proposed for Improvement of Practice (RQ2)

Advance question planning (56%)

Monitor participation by all students (56%)

Improve instructional techniques (40%)

Improve feedback (32%)

Increase interactive discussion (32%) and teach interactive discussion skills (12%)

Improve classroom management skills (24%)

Strategies proposed for improvement of practice

Intentional Practice

“I will prepare a question guide

before the lesson to help direct

students in higher level of

thinking.” (04MSTrad)

Strategies proposed for improvement of practice

Planning

“I think time invested at the

beginning of the year [regarding] my

expectations for discussions would be

helpful.” (13MSTrad)

Strategies proposed for improvement of practice

Intentional Practice

“To improve this questioning practice, I

plan on … constantly checking for

understanding formatively through

thumbs up/thumbs down, stoplight,

agree/disagree, etc.” (20MSAlt)

20

Strategies proposed for improvement of practice

Assertion 2

Analysis of questioning practice convinced PSTs of the importance of

planning and intentional practices as a strategy for improving questioning

practice.

The Power of Self-Reflection

PSTs were often surprised by aspects of their teaching practice after reflection on their own teaching

Surprising insights gained by PST

“It is amazing what you can learn

from listening to yourself. I could

not believe how many times I said

the word "Right”. If I were a student,

I would be sick of it.” (18HSAlt)

Surprising insights gained by PST

“It occurred to me as I listened to the

tape that only seven out of 30

students spoke. Not only do I have

no idea what those other twenty-

three students know, no one in the

class was able to benefit from their

input.” (21MSAlt)

Surprising insights gained by PST

“In the background I could hear

chatter, chatter that I must block

out while I'm standing at the front of

the class. I did not notice when I

was teaching but it was there, on

tape.” (18HSAlt)

Acknowledging need for change

PSTs acknowledged need for change and dedicated their efforts to transforming their own practice.

Acknowledging need for change

“Overall, this transcript allowed me to see myself in a way that I had not seen before: through the ears of an observer….I plan on taping another session in the upcoming months to evaluate my progress.”

(26MSAlt)

Acknowledging need for change

“The lesson I learned is that high

level questioning is dependent

on careful and thoughtful

planning for each lesson.” (15MSTrad)

What’s Next?

Comparison to other content areas

A model for other pedagogical skills development

QUESTIONS?

And thank you for your kind attention.