A Descriptive Study of Teacher Questioning Behavior in an Elementary EFL Classroom

A Descriptive Study of Teacher Questioning Behavior in an Elementary EFL Classroom

  This study is a descriptive analysis of teacher questioning behavior in an elementary EFL classroom. Ethnological methodology, along with analytical triangulation to enhance the interpretation of the observations and conclusions, was applied through the use of audio and videotaping, field notes, and interviews. The focus of the study was the type and nature of teacher questioning behavior and the effectiveness of the questioning in eliciting student answers. In particular, display and referential questioning was examined, and the purposes behind the questions analysed. The results of the study indicate that more natural responses are generated by referential questioning; and, in general, more constructive teacher-student interaction can be maintained through questioning that focuses more on the students’ personal responses to the content than on simple content and comprehension checking. In addition, sequential questioning that lowered anxiety, and allowed the students to become more confident in the content of the questioning and their ability to answer, generated substantially enhanced utterances. It is suggested that an examination of their questioning behavior will help teachers to more effectively promote communicative competence.