Investigation On The Use Of Effective Questioning Strategies In Senior High School English Classroom

Classroom questioning is the key to achieve the goal of classroom teaching and one of the most widely used teaching skills,which is compared to “teaching life” by many researchers.It is very important to study classroom questioning,especially effective questioning,to improve the quality of classroom teaching.This study was carried out in a key high school of Xin Yang.Through questionnaires,classroom observation and interview,this paper is to answer the following three research questions:(1)What are the attitudes of teachers and students towards classroom questioning?(2)What problems are there in the senior high school English class questioning?(3)What strategies of effective questioning are employed in the senior high school English classes?The author first discussed the definition and standards of effective questioning.Then combining the “zero proximal development area” theory and cognitive learning theory,the author concluded six strategies of effective questioning: effective designing before class;questioning in diversity and proper distribution;questioning in proper number;use of different questioning techniques,such as probing,prompting and so on;proper wait-time;positive feedback.These strategies will lay a theoretical foundation for subsequent research.The questionnaires are also designed on the basis of these concepts and theories.Before the formal implementation of the questionnaire,the authors tested the questionnaire and analyzed the reliability and validity of them twice.On the basis of ensuring the reliability and validity of the questionnaires,the author carried out the questionnaires.After that,the author analyzed the data obtained by using SPSS.Then according to six strategies that the author summarized,and the Flanders Interactive Classification Scale and the results of the questionnaires,the authors made “The Teacher's Questioning Observation Scale” and observed the four English teachers in the four classes in which the questionnaires were distributed.The author mainly observed the strategies are employed by teachers in English classroom.Finally,according to the results obtained from the questionnaires and classroom observation,the author interviewed the four teachers observed in the classroom.The interview aims at the situation that the questionnaires and classroom observation can not knew,such as the purpose of classroom questioning and so on.The study found that teachers can use some effective questioning strategies:asking an appropriate numbers of questions;adopting the techniques of repeating,prompting and turning;and giving students positive feedback and evaluation after students answered the questions.But the study also found the following problems:teachers do not prepare the questions carefully before class;teachers tend to ask closed questions;teachers often ask students to answer the questions collectively;the techniques of encouraging,pausing,and probing are not often used;students do not have enough time to think.As for the attitudes toward classroom questioning,although teachers and students have realized the importance of classroom questioning,the true value of classroom questioning is still not be realized.Finally,according to this study,the author summarized three pedagogical implications: teachers should deeply understand and comprehend the concept and techniques of effective questioning;the questions raised should include two aspects:closed question and open question;teachers should not only give students positive feedback,but also pay attention to the effectiveness of feedback.