ABSTRACT

Asking questions in class is an important part of classroom teaching. Good questioning can increase teacher-student exchange, stimulate students’ interest in learning, inspire their thinking, and help them to express their own ideas . 

This thesis presents a study on questioning in junior high school English class. Three teachers and two hundred and thirty-seven students are the subjects of this study. Based on classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires, teacher questioning is analyzed from four aspects: types of questions, strategies of questioning, wait-time after questioning and feedback.

The results show that 1) English teachers in junior high schools ask more display questions than referential questions; 2) the main feedback from English teachers is positive feedback; 3) English teachers use the strategy of repeating more than the strategies of probing and prompting; 4) Students don’t have equal opportunities to answer questions; 5) With the advancement of The New Curriculum, the center of class is gradually shifted from teachers to students.

    The pedagogical implications of this study is that teachers should change their teaching concepts. They should take more measures to encourage students’ participation in the interaction. Besides, it is necessary for teachers to skillfully use the strategies and apply appropriate feedback patterns to optimize the positive effects of teachers’ feedback. 

Key words: teacher questioning; English class; junior high school

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Background of the study-1

1.2 Purpose and Significiance of the Study-1

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-3

2.1 Basic Concepts of Teacher Questioning-3  

2.1.1 Definition of Teacher Questioning3

2.1.2 Purposes and Functions of Teacher Questioning.3

2.1.3 Strategies of Teacher Questioning-4

2.2 Studies on Teacher Questioning-5

2.2.1 Studies Abroad-5

2.2.2 Studies at Home-6

2.3 Summary-7

Chapter Three  METHODOLOGY-8

3.1 Research Objectives-8

3.2 Research Design-8

   3.2.1 questions-8 

   3.2.2 Subjects-8

   3.2.3 Instruments-9

3.3 Data Collection-10

Chapter Four  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION-10

4.1 Analysis of Classroom observation and Interviews-10

   4.1.1 Types of Questions Applied in English Class-11

   4.1.2 Functions of Questioning-12

   4.1.3 Teachers' Feedback.12

   4.1.4 Strategies of Questioning-13

    4.2 Analysis of the Results of the Questionnaires.14

   4.2.1 Question distribution-14

   4.2.2 Students’ attitudes towards teacher questioning-14

   4.2.3 Students' attitudes towards teacher's wait-time after questioning-15

   4.2.4 Types of questions students interested in-16

   4.2.5 Students’ attitudes towards teacher’s feedback -16

   4.2.6The new roles of teachers and students in English class-17

Chapter FIVE  CONCLUSION-18

5.1 Findings 18

5.2 Implications.18

5.3 Limitation19

REFERENCES-20

APPENDIX A.22

APPENDIX B.24