questioning in the classroom: the effects of engaging...
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Questioning in the Classroom: The Effects of Engaging Questions on Attitude
A Capstone Project
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
of Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics
Jenny Fries
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota
Summer 2011
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This capstone project was submitted by
Jenny Fries
Graduate Committee:
Dr. Larry Chu, Chairperson
Mr. Larry Goodman, Advisor
Dr. Bob Crackel
Dean of Graduate School
Dr. Linda Cresap
Date of defense: July 5, 2011
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Abstract
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions would
improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math class.
Essential questions were incorporated into a chapter of geometry. Although a few
of the students seemed to be more engaged, most seemed to be lost or less willing
to think critically and respond. The change in attitude overall was slightly
positive, but not enough to be a significant change.
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Acknowledgements
I thank my advisor, Larry Goodman, for all the editing he has done on my
paper and also for the guidance he has given me throughout this process. I also
thank all of my Minot State teachers, Laurie Gellar for her help with statistical
analysis of my data, Dr. Larry Chu and Bob Crackel for their time as committee
members. Heather, thanks for all the proof-reading and editing you did as well,
and for being there to share ideas, frustrations, and finally success.
Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me and understanding
when I worked on grad school ―stuff‖ instead of spending time with you. It‘s
good to know it has all been worth the extra effort. I also thank my classmates for
being a fun bunch of people to spend summer days with; I will miss you and have
many great memories of the summers in Minot. And to Rob, for sitting by me and
supporting me as I worked on nice evenings, weekends, and school breaks, thank
you for being so great and seeing me through to the end!
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Table of Contents
Page
Abstract .................................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iv
List of Tables ....................................................................................................... viii
Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................1
Motivation for the Project ............................................................................1
Background on the Problem.........................................................................2
Statement of the Problem .............................................................................3
Statement of Purpose ...................................................................................3
Research Questions/Hypotheses ..................................................................4
Definitions....................................................................................................4
Summary ......................................................................................................4
Chapter Two: Review of Literature .........................................................................5
Essential and Follow-up Questions ..............................................................6
The Teacher‘s Role in Questioning ...........................................................11
The Student‘s Role in Questioning ............................................................14
Preparation for Questioning .......................................................................16
Summary ....................................................................................................18
Chapter Three: Research Design and Method .......................................................19
Setting ........................................................................................................19
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Intervention/Innovation..............................................................................20
Design ........................................................................................................20
Description of Methods..............................................................................21
Expected Results ........................................................................................23
Timeline for the Study ...............................................................................24
Summary ....................................................................................................24
Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results ...................................25
Data Analysis .............................................................................................25
Interpretation of Results .............................................................................32
Summary ....................................................................................................34
Chapter Five: Conclusions, Action Plan, Reflections, and Recommendations .....35
Conclusions ................................................................................................35
Action Plan.................................................................................................36
Reflections and Recommendations for Other Teachers.............................37
Summary ....................................................................................................39
References ..............................................................................................................40
Appendices .............................................................................................................43
Appendix A: Question Examples...............................................................44
Appendix B: Teacher Behavior Coding Sheet ...........................................45
Appendix C: Principal Consent Form ........................................................46
Appendix D: IRB Approval .......................................................................47
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Appendix E: Consent Forms ......................................................................48
Appendix F: Student Attitude Survey ........................................................52
Appendix G: Student Attitude Survey Key ...............................................54
Appendix H: Responses and Questioning Strategies Tables .....................56
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List of Tables
Table Page
1. Data Collection Tools ................................................................................22
2. Occurrence of Question Types ...................................................................26
3. Category Means .........................................................................................27
4. Means of Paired Differences in Pre- and Post-Surveys .............................28
5. Pre-and Post-Survey Median Frequency ...................................................30
Chapter One
Introduction
Wake up! This was a phrase I did not want to be saying to students in my
class, but has happened too many times in the last few years. How could they
possibly be bored in math? I have been guilty of falling into a rut of a routine in
my math classroom, the worst of this being lecture and notes. During this time,
students were unengaged, uninterested, and in their words ―bored.‖ Instead of
working to change what I was doing, I tended to blame the students for not paying
attention. After reflecting on my teaching style, though, I thought the boredom
may be cured or at least improved by changing my questioning techniques. I also
thought if I could get the students thinking critically they might have better
understood the material and improved their mathematical skills.
This chapter is an introduction to my project of implementing new
questioning techniques to engage the students, spark their interest, increase
critical thinking, and get the students interacting with one another. Explained here
in greater detail are the problems I encountered, the reasons for having chosen the
topic of questioning, and what questions I hoped to answer through my research.
Motivation for the Project
Last year during my evaluation, I shared with my assistant principal the
feeling of being in a rut in my math classroom: going over homework, answering
questions, giving notes, assigning new homework. The questions I posed to my
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students left many lost, uninterested, or unresponsive. My principal suggested
changing my method of questioning and gave me a handout on questioning he
received at a conference. I took this piece of paper and filed it in my ―to do‖
binder.
When deciding on a topic for my capstone course, this piece of paper
came to mind, as did my desire to change my methods of questioning during notes
or lecture time. I was also reminded of our building goal to foster critical thinking.
I wanted students to be more interested, engaged, and thinking critically while in
the classroom. That was the main motivation for my project.
Background on the Problem
I found students in my classroom tended to be bored, uninterested and
unengaged. Most of the focus during notes and questioning was on me, the
teacher. This was a problem because the time in my classroom was being wasted
(not only mine as an educator, but the students‘ time too) when only one or two
students were listening to, thinking about, or responding to my questions. This
was not a problem that developed over time. I think it is one I have had to some
extent every year but have not taken the time to address or change.
Engaging students and getting them interested in math through
questioning is significant because class time should be utilized in such a way that
as much learning as possible is taking place. The problem of trying to engage
unengaged students is worth studying because I could reach and teach many more
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students. Questioning techniques I used and implemented can be used every day
in my classroom in the future to engage and demand the interest of the students.
Statement of the Problem
The attitudes students typically brought to my math class tended to be
negative or neutral. This was not usually in response to the teacher personally, but
the material presented in class. I think this might have been partially due to the
way I chose to present and question students on new material. The questions I
asked tended to require one word answers or one correct answer; they did not
engage students or require them to think in depth about the problem or topic at
hand. Also, when only one or two students were responding to the current
question, the other twenty-some students remained idle. I wanted students to have
a more positive attitude toward learning math, and I wanted them to be more
engaged, thoughtful, and involved when in the classroom.
Statement of Purpose
I researched and implemented questioning techniques to engage students
and take some of the focus off of me, the teacher. Another focus of these
questions was on critical thinking skills. Through the questions, I also planned to
give students more time to process and share information with each other. In order
to develop questioning techniques, I recorded several periods of lecture and notes.
I used these to change my questioning habits and incorporate more engaging,
thoughtful questions in my lessons.
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Research Questions/Hypotheses
The main question this paper addresses: Will engaging questions improve
students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in the math classroom?
Subsequent questions include:
Will engaging questions promote student interactions?
Will engaging questions move the focus from the instructor to the
students?
Will engaging questions maintain students‘ interest in the classroom?
Definitions
Essential questions—questions pertaining to the main concepts of a lesson and
whose answers are more than a simple word or number
Student attitudes—students‘ positive or negative feelings about a particular
situation or topic
Summary
Bored, uninterested, and unengaged students led me to examine my
methods of questioning in my classroom. I hoped to change my classroom into a
more engaging, interesting environment through research and implementation of
other questioning techniques. Research showed teachers could get students
interested, engaged, and thinking critically through the questions asked (Chuska,
2003; Rubie-Davies, 2007). In the next chapter, I describe types of questions, the
teacher and student roles in questioning, and preparation for good questioning.
Chapter Two
Review of Literature
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions
improved students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math class.
Much research has been done on questioning. Kelin (2007) mentioned major
challenges teachers face when questioning students in the classroom.
Questioning is hard. It can be long and frustrating and easily dead-ends
when students give pat answers in the hope of ―getting it right‖ by giving
the teacher the answer he or she wants to hear. Questioning requires
knowledge of how to ask questions that stimulate thought and authentic
answers. It requires knowledge of the age and achievement levels of the
students. It requires time, as often their answers may need clarification or
create new questions, or require restating when the answers suggest the
students are looking for the ―right‖ or ―easy‖ answers…. Memorizing
facts or reading information informs participants, but those processes do
not engage the students on emotional and imaginative levels that make the
learning real, imperative, and tangible (pp. 107-108).
Methods and intent of questioning, the teacher and student roles in questioning,
and proper preparation are all factors that apply to good questioning in the
classroom (Kelin, 2007). Much of the research connects questioning to student
understanding or thinking, but none to the students‘ attitudes toward mathematics.
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Essential and Follow-up Questions
What makes a question ―good‖ or ―bad‖? What makes a question thought-
provoking as compared to dull and boring? How can a teacher get students to
think critically before responding to a question? How do we decide as educators
what we should ask? There is not one easy answer to each of these questions, but
educators could consider essential questions and their following questions as a
starting point.
Essential questions are at the heart of much research on questioning.
Wiggins and McTighe (2005) said the goals of such questions are ―to stimulate
thought, provoke inquiry, and to spark more questions‖ (p. 106). The main
concepts of the lesson can be addressed through specific essential questions, and
the question‘s answer is more than just one word or number. According to Brown
(2009), ―essential questions are particularly well suited to the task‖ and ―essential
questions focus on the development of students‘ ability to sustain inquiry and
critical thinking‖ (p. 25). Although other researchers did not use the term
―essential questions‖, their research described questions in a similar fashion.
Chuska (2003) pointed out students must be able to see what they are learning in
the classroom is applicable beyond the particular lesson, and the teacher‘s
questions should reflect that idea. Good and Brophy (1994) said to focus on
moving students toward central understandings through questions based on the
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most important concepts. Grossier (1964) said, ―Collectively, the net effect of all
questions asked, should be the achievement of the lesson‘s aim‖ (p. 21).
When it comes to questioning with the purpose of learning, critical
thinking is essential (Paul & Elder, 2005). ―Without critical thinking guiding the
process of learning, rote memorization becomes the primary recourse, with
students forgetting at about the same rate as they are learning and rarely, if ever,
internalizing powerful ideas‖ (p.10). The goal of teaching students to think
critically is to make them learn how to learn and become lifelong learners
(Mascolo, 2009). If students can explain concepts in their own words and find
examples in their own lives connecting to a concept, they have achieved critical
thinking and have taken ownership of the concept or idea. Teachers who used
open-ended, essential questions were shown to engage students in critical thinking
more frequently. In her 2007 study of high and low-expectation teachers, Rubie-
Davies (2007) randomly selected twelve teachers from eight schools near
Auckland, New Zealand. She found students of teachers who avoided such open-
ended, essential questions had fewer chances to think critically. Students were
more likely to learn interactively with others when given the chance to think
critically (Chuska, 2003).
A good essential question must have either characteristics or activities
reinforcing the main concept of the lesson and promoting critical thinking. Other
more general or specific questions aid in the lesson, but are not as pertinent or as
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driving as the essential question (Brown, 2009; Caram & Davis, 2005). Simply
asking one good essential question without the proper follow-up defeats the
purpose of asking the question in the first place (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). If
the dialogue, activity, or lesson following an essential question hinders the
essential question, the students are left at a dead end. ―Answers…often signal a
full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates further questions does
thought continue as inquiry‖ (Elder & Paul, 2006, p. 3). Asking students to make
inferences beyond the scope of a closed question can turn it into an essential, or
useful follow-up question (Rubie-Davies, 2007).
Good & Brophy (1994) said a major factor to consider when questioning
is the planning for the sequence of questions asked. The follow-up questions may
actually determine whether a question is essential to begin with (Wiggins &
McTighe, 2005). Factors influencing the sequencing of questions include the
teacher‘s planning and the response of the student: correct, incorrect, or
incomplete (Mewborn & Huberty, 1999). Specific, justified, and complete
describe three qualities teachers typically look for in student answers (Hannel &
Hannel, 2005). If the students have thought critically and responded appropriately
to a question posed, the teacher may continue in the planned sequence.
However, the outcome is not always what the teacher desires; the way a
teacher responds to an incorrect or incomplete response varies depending on the
initial question asked, the sequence of questions planned, and the intent of the
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initial and follow-up questions. Different strategies may include asking probing or
leading questions, asking specific questions, or asking general questions.
Listening to students‘ responses is an important factor in asking productive
follow-up questions (Franke, Webb, Chan, Ing, Freund, & Battey, 2009).
Questions can fall under several categories, a few examples being probing,
leading and yes-no. Specific examples of essential and such follow-up questions
can be found in Appendix A. ―Probing questions require the student to think
beyond the initial response; they direct, develop, or refocus the student‘s
response‖ (Caram & Davis, 2005, p. 21). Franke, et al. (2009) conducted a
Southern California study in three elementary classrooms in a large school
district. They found students were more likely to find a way to the complete or
correct solution by means of specific probing questions. Also, the other students
gained insight through the probing questions because of the time available to
connect their thoughts to the response of the student called upon.
Though similar to probing questions, leading questions may not be the
best choice for a continuation of a student‘s response. ―Leading questions did not
provide opportunities for students to build on their own understanding‖ (Franke,
et al., 2009, Discussion, para. 5). The focus of these leading questions is on facts
and recall instead of stimulating critical thought of big ideas (Wiggins &
McTighe, 2005). Instead of indicating something significant or engaging is about
to happen, these questions act more like a stop sign to signal the end of thought.
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Students may see such questions as harassing or annoying rather than stimulating
thought and growth. ―Questions should be asked only if the teacher really wants a
response‖ (Good & Brophy, 1994, p. 388). Leading questions should not be used
as the basis for a lesson; however, they are appropriate at times.
There are both pros and cons to yes-no questions. On one hand, ―initial
yes-no questions confuse the lesson focus and waste time, so it is better to ask the
real question in the first place‖ (Good & Brophy, 1994, p. 387). Students may try
to predict the answer of such questions based on teacher cues rather than think
critically about the actual question. Also, yes-no questions do not show student
understanding and are categorized as requiring lower-level thought. Conversely,
yes-no questions do have their place in the classroom at appropriate times.
Grossier (1964) and Wiggings and McTighe (2005) agreed that a yes-no question
could be a warm-up to other questions. ―Many yes/no, either/or, and
who/what/when questions offer the potential to spark impressive curiosity,
thought, and reflection in students, depending upon how they are posed and the
nature of the follow-ups‖ (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 111). These questions
may also be a good start for shy students who are less likely to respond with
lengthy answers required for other, higher-leveled questions.
Note, though, no one type of primary question or sequence of follow-up is
a fool-proof way to elicit further student response (Franke, et al., 2009). Teachers
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should keep in mind the level of the question is not necessarily as important as the
intent and the sequence of questions posed (Good & Brophy, 1994).
―A family of questions signals lively and iterative movement between
narrow and broad inquiries, and between tentative and deeper
understandings and further needed inquiries. The art of teaching for
understanding requires a delicate mix of open and guiding as well as
topical and overarching inquiries‖ (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 118).
With the purpose of the lesson and aim for student achievement in mind, teachers
should pose a mixture of questions in differing sequences at multiple cognitive
levels (Hannel & Hannel, 2005).
The Teacher’s Role in Questioning
In addition to the types and sequencing of questions asked, the educator
plays an important role in how the rest of the questioning plays out. This includes
the type of the question asked, the posing of the question and eliciting answers
from students, the wait time for the student‘s answer, and the wait time in
responding to the student‘s answer. The sequencing and types of questions
considered were previously discussed, so the focus here is calling on students and
the wait time for the response.
The teacher can create a more active or passive learning experience for the
students based on the way questions are posed and the way responses from
students are obtained. A few different ways of finding responses to questions
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include: calling on an individual before asking the question, asking the question
before calling on an individual, posing the question to groups in the class, asking
the question and allowing students to answer at any time, or posing a question and
asking students to write their answers. In general, ―questions are likely to prompt
the attention of the person queried and probably most of the students in the
immediate vicinity‖ (Hannel & Hannel, 2005, p. 34). Good & Brophy (1994)
suggested avoiding calling on an individual before the question is posed as this
signals to other students they will not be called upon and therefore are not
required to think about their own solution. This tactic may be useful to catch the
attention of a daydreaming student. Calling on one individual after posing a
question requires all students to pay attention and think about the problem before
a particular student is chosen.
Teachers must allow students an appropriate amount of time to think about
a question before eliciting a response. Various amounts of wait time are deemed
as appropriate by differing research, but a general guideline would be to wait for
about three to ten seconds (Caram & Davis, 2005). These times may vary though,
depending on the level of thinking required by the question. For instance, a
critical thinking, high-leveled question may take more than ten seconds whereas a
simple, yes/no question being used for quick feedback may take three or fewer
seconds to think about and answer.
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During lecture, note taking, and questioning in the classroom, another
problem educators come across is most of the focus being on the teacher, so the
teacher is active while the student is passive (Chuska, 2003; Mascolo, 2009).
Students may believe their only role in the classroom is to listen. According to
Deed (2009), the educator must work hard to transform students from listeners
into active learners. Low-level questions with the intent of recall are considered to
make the student passive while the teacher is active (Good & Brophy, 1994). One
possible solution is to ask essential questions. These questions stimulate students
to think about why they are learning a topic, rather than seeing it as ―something to
be done and then submitted‖ (Deed, 2009, p. 486).
In a different instance of an active teacher and passive students, when
students take longer to answer a question than the teacher intends, the teacher may
answer his or her own question (Chuska, 2003). The teacher could make an effort
to rephrase the question or ask a series of easier questions to remedy this
situation. The method to share an answer with another student, group of students,
or writing the answer down before sharing with the class as a whole may be used
to get the focus off the teacher and onto the students (Mewborn & Huberty, 1999).
Finally, calling on only one student may create an environment where
most students are passive, while one student is active (Mewborn & Huberty,
1999). To engage more students, the teacher can ask whether the other students
got the same or differing answers, how they arrived at those solutions, or again
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share with others their thoughts on the problem. Another benefit to sharing like
this is the students considering more than one method to arrive at a correct
solution.
During the student‘s answer, there are a few guidelines instructors may
want to keep in mind. Allow the student sufficient time to explain his or her mode
of thinking. ―Students who are given opportunities to explain their thinking begin
to value the problem-solving experience and become more active in their own
learning‖ (Mewborn & Huberty, 1999, Finding the time for questioning, para. 2).
Teachers should respond with positive reinforcement; however, they should also
wait before immediately giving praise to a student for a correct or acceptable
answer (Caram & Davis, 2005). Also, teachers should listen carefully to the
student‘s response and wait for some time before responding to the student. This
is with the intent of learning as much as possible about the student‘s thinking,
allowing the student to elaborate if necessary, and for the teacher to respond with
an appropriate follow-up question or response to the student‘s answer to continue
the interaction (Chuska, 2003; Olson, 2008). In order to maintain all students‘
attention, the teacher should maintain direct eye contact with the student being
questioned as this brings other students‘ attention in his or her direction.
The Student’s Role in Questioning
First, to get students to answer and ask good questions of their own, they
must feel comfortable sharing their thoughts openly with the class (Caram &
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Davis, 2005; Chuska, 2003; Mewborn, & Huberty, 1999). In Pieczura‘s (2009)
words, ―…they must feel free to question, debate, and change their minds without
repercussion‖ (p. 24). Major reasons students may not feel comfortable sharing an
answer or question in class may stem from former experiences. The student may
be afraid to fail, afraid of ridicule, lacking confidence, unsure, or uninterested in
the question.
The establishment of a safe learning environment does not ensure all
students will feel comfortable sharing their ideas. In this case, the teacher may ask
students to share their answers in pairs, then in groups of four, and finally with the
entire class (Mewborn & Huberty, 1999). Before sharing with the entire class, the
shy or unwilling students are given time to refine their answers if needed within
the smaller group sharing.
―Students often bring essential questions into a unit of instruction on their
own. Students become excited and interested when instructors allow them
opportunities to question and expand their knowledge and skill base‖ (Pieczura, p.
26). Teachers should point out that it is not only okay to ask questions, but it is
expected and students should feel encouraged to ask questions in the classroom. It
may also be helpful to indicate learning is taking place, if the students can become
good questioners. ―The questioning pupil is the thinking pupil‖ (Grossier, 1964, p.
53). Finally, as put by Paul and Elder (2007),
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―All disciplines are ultimately defined by the questions asked by experts
within the discipline and how answers to those questions are pursued.
Thus all ideas within any subject are intimately connected with the kinds
of questions asked in it…. Thus, to understand and think within any
subject, students must become active and disciplined questioners within
the subject‖ (p. 14).
Preparation for Questioning
Teachers influence students in everything they do in the classroom and are
the main factor in student achievement (Olson, 2008). This includes questioning.
Asking good, essential questions takes deliberate planning on the teacher‘s part.
In one period, teachers tend to ask fifty to seventy questions (Chuska, 2003). With
the goal to increase critical thinking, teachers should reduce the number of
questions posed to five or six good, essential questions. These questions take time
to design. Teachers must think of what concepts or generalizations they want their
students to grasp from the lesson. If teachers want a specific outcome, they must
find a way to question students in order to achieve the outcome. In order to
decrease the number of questions and provide adequate time for critical thinking
and real-life examples, teachers must decide what topics from the lessons are
possible to omit.
There are tips to ensure the implementation of essential questions. It is
suggested teachers keep a list of prewritten questions (Grossier, 1964; Olson,
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2008). Also, consider different sequences of follow-up questions based on a few
possible student answers. Bad habits are hard to break, so teachers may find
themselves asking nonessential questions or responding to students in a
nonproductive manner. If a teacher finds this to be the case, he or she may
rephrase the current question or stop to think before speaking.
According to Caram and Davis (2005), teachers must consider the fact
questions may have more than one solution and to ask questions in such a way to
interest the students and invite all learners to respond. For open-ended questions
posed in class, teachers can anticipate likely student responses and think of ways
to respond before the question is posed (Stein, Engel, Smith & Hughes, 2008).
This also means the teacher will have to work through the problem before class in
order to find likely solutions and likely errors made by students. Students may
still think of other approaches, but the teacher will be more adequately prepared
for student questions by working through several solutions beforehand.
Teachers should also keep students‘ previous knowledge in mind when
presenting and teaching new material.
―Both students and teachers must be active in the learning process, both in
and out of the classroom. …although students must be active in the
construction of new knowledge, students do not construct knowledge in a
vacuum; they require direction, guidance and instruction that is sensitive
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to their existing levels of understanding relative to the skills and
knowledge under construction‖ (Mascolo, 2009, p. 14).
Since new knowledge is based on existing knowledge, a teacher‘s job is to
provide students with direction and opportunities to learn. ―A good teacher is one
who is able to engage the student‘s existing ways of knowing and introduce
novelty in such a way as to prompt transformation in the structure and content of
a student‘s knowledge and skills‖ (Mascolo, 2009, p. 6).
Summary
The teacher, teacher questioning, and student questions play a crucial role
in the classroom. The teacher plans and poses most questions and creates a safe
learning environment where student answers and questions of their own are
encouraged. Good student questions are an indication of the occurrence of critical
thinking and learning. The teacher also evaluates the response(s) of the students
and gives the students feedback on their answers. The next chapter includes an
explanation of how I planned to study my own teaching style, developed essential
questions for my lessons, and implemented those into my classroom.
Chapter Three
Research Design and Method
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions
would improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math
class. The project was conducted at my current school. I anticipated a few
difficulties in the implementation of the project, but was hoping for the most part
it would go smoothly. This chapter includes the setting of the study, plans for
implementation, possible problems, and the means of data collection.
Setting
I was a fifth year math teacher, in my second year at my current school. I
previously taught at a small town school with an enrollment of less than one
hundred in grades nine through twelve. The school where I taught at the time of
the project was in an urban setting with a high school enrolment of approximately
one thousand students. Participants included a mixture of geometry students from
ninth to twelfth grade. The students took the same course from me, at different
times throughout the day.
I thought student attendance and participation might affect the study.
Students who missed a day or few days of lecture, notes, and discussion would
not have the same experience or exposure to questioning and thinking as the other
students. Also, if a student was unwilling to participate in group work,
discussions, or engage in critical thinking, the student missed the main purposes
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of the project. Another factor may have been the time of day the students took the
class.
Intervention/Innovation
Before I began the study, I videotaped seven of my current lessons and
used a tally sheet (See Appendix B) to determine my current methods of
questioning, wait time, and response time to students‘ answers. I used this data to
help prepare for the new unit and practice changing wait time or other factors
necessary before the study.
I then wrote and used essential, critical thinking questions for one unit in
geometry. Each day we covered new material, I asked two to six questions to
encourage critical thinking and student interactions. Students were given adequate
time to respond to questions, and I also tried to respond to their answers in an
appropriately-timed manner. Videotapes of myself during lessons were used as a
means of collecting this data. I used the same coding sheet as I did before the
study.
Design
I used a mixed-methods design for my study to determine whether
engaging questions would improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on
lecture and notes in math class. Survey research was the main focus, including
both quantitative and qualitative data. If the numerical data from surveys did not
show any significant results, I was hoping comments and opinions from students
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would show a positive effect of essential questions. Also, as part of participant
observation, a teacher journal helped document small, daily changes.
Description of Methods
The school‘s principal was asked to sign a form, seen in Appendix C,
approving the study to be conducted in my classroom. Once IRB approval was
obtained (See Appendix D), IRB-approved letters asking for permission to collect
student data were completed and signed in class by the students and sent home for
the students‘ guardians to sign. See Appendix E for informed consent letters.
Students were given two weeks to return the forms, and I sent home another
permission letter with students who had not yet returned their forms. No data was
collected or used from students who did not participate in the study. This includes
both students who chose to opt out and whose parents would not allow their child
to participate. See Table 1 for a description of the data collection tools used in the
study.
Once all permission letters had been returned, I administered a survey a
day or two before the start of the unit. The survey included questions on a
modified Fennema-Sherman scale. Topics included students‘ feelings toward
questions, methods of questioning used in the classroom, and current attitudes
(ranked on scale with positive and negative) toward lecture, notes, and discussion.
See Appendix F for the survey. Students remained anonymous when filling out
the surveys as a means of encouraging them to be honest with their answers.
22
Table 1
Data Collection Tools
During the unit, I videotaped a few of my lessons to see if my timing or
questioning strategies had changed in a positive manner consistent with research.
I also wrote in a daily electronic journal to keep track of information throughout
the unit. I recorded whether each of my planned essential questions was asked
Questions to be
answered
Video Tapes Pre and Post-unit
Surveys
Journal
Will engaging
questions improve
students‘ attitudes
toward time spent
on lecture and
notes in the
classroom?
Used to determine
student levels of
attitude (positive
or negative
feelings) during
notes and/or
lecture.
Used to record
observations of
students,
comments during
lecture and notes,
and interesting
responses to
questions.
Will engaging
questions promote
student
interactions?
Used to document
number and type
of interactions.
Used to record
observations of
student
interactions.
Will engaging
questions move
the focus from the
instructor to the
students?
Used to document
observations of
daily classroom
activity and
implementation of
the questions.
Will engaging
questions maintain
students‘ interest
in the classroom?
Used to determine
the level of
interest in being in
the math
classroom.
23
during the lesson. Also, I documented my thoughts on the students‘ responses to
the questions and lessons as a whole.
At the completion of the unit, students took a test. A portion of questions
on the test were connected to the essential questions asked throughout the unit.
These questions helped determine what students gained from time spent in
lecture. Students also filled out the same survey as they did before the start of the
unit. Again, student answers remained anonymous. These results were compared
to the student pre-unit surveys.
Results from the surveys were analyzed using the key for the survey (See
Appendix G). Each question had a point value from 1-5. Each survey had a total
for attitude. The totals were used to analyze the degree of positive or negative
feelings toward time spent on notes and lecture in the classroom.
Expected Results
My hypothesis was the implementation engaging questions would improve
students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math class. An
additional hypothesis was students would begin to see the true nature of
mathematics and the critical thinking involved in the process of learning. I also
thought asking these questions would increase student interactions. If student
interactions did increase, I thought less of the focus during lecture and notes
would have been on me, and more focus would have been on the students.
24
One difficulty of being both the one who implemented the questions and
observed the reactions of students was that I may have lost my objective focus in
the study. My opinions may have affected the journaling and observations.
Timeline for the Study
The study began midway through the third quarter of geometry. This
lasted the duration of the unit. The timeframe was approximately three weeks,
with surveys administered before and after the unit.
Summary
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions
would improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math
class. The data collection methods used for the mixed-methods project included
taping lessons, student surveys, and teacher journals. I thought the use of
engaging questions would improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on
lecture and notes, specifically making them more positive.
Chapter Four
Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions
will improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math
class. The results and analysis of data gathered from video tapes, student surveys,
and a teacher journal from the study are described in this chapter.
Data Analysis
Video tapes. Prior to the study, I videotaped seven lessons I taught
without trying to change my normal teaching style and methods of questioning.
For each lesson, the occurrences of types of questions asked, methods of
interacting with students, and my responses to students were tallied using the
teacher behavior form (See Appendix B). The same method of taping and tallying
was used for twelve lessons during the implementation of the project. Percentages
for each category of questions asked prior and during the study are summarized in
Table 2. The categories of critical thinking, extended answer, and probing
questions increased by a total of twenty-three percent. At the same time, simple
recall and yes/no questions decreased by a total of twenty-one percent.
Information pertaining to my methods of calling on students and questioning
strategies are included in Appendix H (See Table AG1 & Table AG2).
26
Table 2
Occurrence of Question Types
Percent Occurrence
Type of Question Pre-Study During Study
Recall 19.4% 14.4%
Yes/No 16.8% 5.8%
Leading 26.7% 14.8%
Probing 22.5% 32.9%
Critical Thinking 4.2% 10.7%
Extended-answer 0.5% 6.6%
Simple Math/Solve 6.3% 9.5%
Try this/problem 3.7% 5.3%
Student survey. In addition to taping lessons prior to the study, I
administered a survey (See Appendix F) to 21 students, fourteen female and seven
male. Also, seven were freshmen, eight sophomores, five juniors, and one senior.
Each survey statement was scored with a value ranging from 1 to 5. A higher
number corresponds with a more positive attitude, so the scoring for positive
statements and negative statements are reversed. For example, in a positive
statement, Strongly Agree scored a 5 whereas Strongly Disagree scored 1. In a
negative statement, Strongly Agree scored 1 while Strongly Disagree scored 5.
27
I administered the same survey to the same students after the completion
of the project. Since three categories comprised the types of statements (See
Appendix G), the means of each category and for all students were calculated.
The difference in means from the pre-survey to post-survey were also calculated
(See Table 3). Note there was a positive change in all categories, and the
statements as a whole.
Table 3
Category Means
Category Pre-
Survey
Post-
Survey
Difference in
Surveys
All Statements 3.81 3.91 0.10
Confidence in asking and answering
questions
3.56 3.74 0.18
Learning gains due to notes, lecture, and
questions
3.98 4.02 0.04
Usefulness of time spent on lecture,
notes, and assignments
3.85 3.98 0.13
Since the data was dependent, a paired t-test was also run on each
student‘s pre-survey compared to post-survey total scores to determine
significance of the results. The mean and standard deviation of the paired
differences were calculated for the total survey score (all statements) for each
28
student and the total score for each of the three categories of statements
(confidence in asking and answering questions; learning gains due to notes,
lecture, and questions; usefulness of time spent on lecture, notes, and
assignments). The null hypothesis for each test was that there would be no
difference in the mean scores for the pre- and post-surveys. The alternative
hypothesis was the difference would be greater than zero. The results of the paired
analysis for all statements and for each category are summarized in Table 4.
Table 4
Means of Paired Differences in Pre- and Post-Surveys
Category Difference
in Means
Standard
Deviation
95%
Lower Bound
t-value p-value
All Statements 4.95 21.98 -3.12 1.03 0.16
Confidence 3.24 9.65 -0.39 1.54 0.07
Learning Gains 1.15 6.83 -1.43 0.77 0.23
Usefulness 1.33 6.85 -1.25 0.89 0.19
Note. Test significance at the 05.0 level.
The t-test for the total survey score showed a t-score of 1.03 and a p-value
of 0.157, with significance level. Thus, there was a failure to reject the
null hypothesis as the test shows insufficient evidence that students had
29
significant attitude growth from the pre- to post-survey. Similar results occurred
in the three categories of questions as well. All t-tests showed a failure to reject
the null hypothesis and insufficient evidence of significant student attitude
growth.
Medians were also calculated for each statement. Table 5 displaying the
frequencies of each median score also shows a slight increase in positive attitude.
For the medians of all questions in the survey by student, three students‘ attitudes
increased by a value of 1, and the rest showed no change. In the category of
confidence in asking and answering questions, 7 students median score increased,
1 decreased, and the remaining students showed no change. This category showed
the greatest number of students with a positive increase. The greatest decrease
occurred in learning gains due to notes, lecture, and questions. Here, 3 students‘
median score decreased, 2 increased, while the rest showed no change. In
usefulness of time spent on lecture, notes, and assignments, there was an increase
in 5 students, decrease in 2, and no change for the remaining students.
Table 5
Pre-and Post-Survey Median Frequency
Positivity 5 4 3 2 1
30
Pre-Survey 1 29 0 1 0
Post-Survey 3 27 1 0 0
Teacher journal. A journal was used to document the implementation of
essential questions and my thoughts after each lesson. To analyze journal entries,
I read through several times and found four main themes. These include the way
in which I posed questions, difficulty of the questions asked and students being
lost, student interactions and participation, and getting students to think and
develop possible solutions to questions on their own.
At first, I implemented my questions by including most of the questions
on my flipchart document. After a few lessons, since I was trying not to repeat
questions, I started to pose the questions verbally. At that point, I struggled asking
the questions in the way they were initially prepared, so another change was
implemented. I kept a list of my questions and possible follow-ups with me
throughout the lesson.
The first day I began asking my essential questions, students seemed to be
lost or confused. For some questions, I would get ―blank stares‖ or no response,
so I would elaborate, give samples or examples, or ask an easier leading question
to get the students thinking. Even in the middle and near the end of the
implementation of my questions, I encountered students either giving blank stares
or guesses.
31
Another situation encountered throughout the study was getting students
to be willing to think, or try to come up with a solution to questions posed. On the
first day, my thought was, ―Maybe they aren‘t used to trying in the first place so
they see a thinking question and immediately shut down.‖ As I noted later, ―One
said that we wasted time when I was waiting for them to ‗guess‘ the answer. That
leads me to think they are doing exactly that: guessing.‖ Near the end of the
study, the same trend continued, ―…but I am still having trouble getting the
students to think! They will spit out some guess before they will be willing to
think through the problem and come up with a solution they understand and can
explain in their own words.‖ Also, ―They don‘t seem to care whether they have an
answer or not when I call on them.‖
Student interactions, most days, were minimal. I found many students
unwilling to share their thoughts and ideas even when students were asked to
share with a partner or small group before sharing thoughts with the entire class.
However, there were also a few students in each class who willingly participated
and worked well discussing solutions and approaches in groups. In one class
period, I documented ―A few of the groups were actually discussing their ideas,
but I had about a third to half of the class keeping their thoughts to themselves or
not even attempting to look at the problem/question. Even after I asked them to at
least look at the board, they didn‘t do a thing.‖ This was the trend throughout the
implementation of the project. Near the end, I noted ―I asked my first question,
32
and there was no response. I even asked to students to visit with a partner, but
even then only 2 of the students talked.‖ The final day, though, ―essential question
got several students interacting and volunteering answers. Although the students
didn‘t think about their answers for as long as I would like, the responses were
applicable and not guesses.‖
Interpretation of Results
Question 1: Will engaging questions improve students‘ attitudes toward
time spent on lecture and notes in the classroom? The results of the survey
indicate a slight positive change in the average attitude in all categories. The
greatest change was seen in confidence in answering and asking questions. I
thought the change would be positive, but it is not as high as I expected. The t-test
shows further evidence that the increase in student attitude was not significant.
The medians also showed a slight increase, but again, not as high as I
expected. The median is a good measure for modified Fenema-Sherman surveys,
such as the one used in the study. This is due to the nature of the answers. For
instance, if a statement has a median value of 4, this means at least half the
students had a positive attitude toward the statement.
The surveys were a reliable source of data. I wrote the survey myself,
based on a Fenema-Sherman survey. This was then reviewed by a graduate
committee before it was administered to the students. The surveys were also given
in a test-retest fashion to increase reliability.
33
One small error occurred in the surveys. A few students did not fill out the
back of their surveys prior to the study and one student did the same in the final
survey. I did not tell the students there were two sides and did not think to check
if both sides were filled out once the surveys were collected. In those cases, the
responses were blank when I entered the data. This error may have affected some
data, specifically the means and medians when comparing the pre- and post-
surveys.
The journal entries for this question did not show a change in attitude. The
unwillingness of many students to participate and respond to questions occurred
frequently throughout the implementation of the project.
Question 2: Will engaging questions promote student interactions? From
my journal notes, student interactions were minimal throughout the project.
Students were reluctant to visit about the questions unless told to do so. Even
then, some did not participate. This was not what I expected to happen. I thought
if I challenged the students, they would be more likely to want to share ideas with
one another and help come up with solutions. Some students seemed less
responsive than usual, and ―shut down‖ when asked the essential questions.
Question 3: Will engaging questions move the focus from the instructor
to the students? My journal notes did not address this topic specifically, but there
were times that I noted no response in students and again, some students were
unwilling to participate and discuss ideas. Students still tended to tell me their
34
answers, even when asked to discuss among small groups. In general, most of the
focus was still on me as the teacher. This is not what I expected, but part of it may
be due to how I posed questions and reacted to students. In particular, ―I still
repeated student answers and my questions frequently.‖
Question 4: Will engaging questions maintain students‘ interest in the
classroom? Again, journal notes suggest the questions did not maintain students‘
interest. ―Students seemed quite bored near the end.‖ Also, students‘ blank stares
and low participation in groups show little interest in the questions and discussion
occurring.
Summary
A focus of essential questions in lessons did slightly increase students‘
attitudes toward time spent on lecture, notes and assignments. However, the
increase was not high enough to show any significance. Student interactions were
not increased by essential questions, and the main focus did not shift away from
the instructor to the students. The next chapter will further discuss the results,
conclusions and recommendations for future research in the topic of essential
questions.
Chapter Five
Conclusions, Action Plan, Reflections, and Recommendations
The intent of this project was to determine whether engaging questions
would improve students‘ attitudes toward time spent on lecture and notes in math
class. Several conclusions could be derived through surveys and observations
noted in a teacher journal.
Conclusions
Question 1: Will engaging questions improve students‘ attitudes toward
time spent on lecture and notes in the classroom? I did not see an overall
improvement in students‘ attitudes throughout the study. The survey results with
no significant change in attitude as well as observations made in the teacher
journal support this statement. Most of the students seemed to be more frustrated
than anything when I would ask my planned essential questions for the lesson. I
believe questions alone will not improve students‘ attitudes.
Question 2: Will engaging questions promote student interactions? With
observations in the teacher journal, this result was similar to the attitudes: no
improvement. Students were reluctant to talk to one another and discuss thoughts.
Even when prompted to visit or share ideas, most students would sit quietly,
staring at the board or their paper. The few who did interact were the students
who tend to participate more in the normal lecture setting. Some responded
36
directly to me instead of interacting with other students, which was not the
outcome I was working toward.
Question 3: Will engaging questions move the focus from the instructor
to the students? My opinion on this topic was again, no. The students seemed to
want me to give them information and give them answers after a short period of
time.
Question 4: Will engaging questions maintain students‘ interest in the
classroom? In my opinion, some students seemed much more interested in the
material, or at least thinking about possibilities beyond the textbook information.
These same students were the most participative and engaged as well. On the
other hand, I also believe I lost some of the students‘ interest throughout the study
because of the questions asked. I do not believe the questions were difficult, but I
do think some students did not see the relevance in the questions or in striving to
find any solution.
Action Plan
I plan to modify my original action plan. I believe throughout my study, a
few of the aspects and methods worked well, while others did not mesh with my
teaching style and/or the combinations of students I encountered this year.
I do believe essential questions encourage critical thinking and will
continue to find more essential questions to ask in class. I do not necessarily
intend to use these questions to change students‘ attitudes, but more to challenge
37
students and strive to turn them into deep thinkers. My plan for the next year is to
incorporate one or two essential questions into each class period. I feel if I can get
the students thinking and working together to form solutions on the first day, it
may be easier to continue the process throughout the year.
Another method I plan to continue is striving to increase student
interactions. I believe the ―think, pair, share‖ idea will work given some more
time; again, this may work better if I can get students interacting at the beginning
of the school year. I could do a better job guiding the students working in groups
as well. I would like to find other methods to try when students seem
uncooperative in the group setting.
I also think some activities or projects aligned with essential questions
would better show the relevance of the questions to the students. The questions I
asked in the project were aligned to examples and lecture. I think if I can get
students to see more applications of mathematics, it may not only help the process
of questioning but also the attitudes toward time spent on questioning.
Reflections and Recommendations for Other Teachers
Overall, I thought my project was a huge learning experience in the action
research process. There were times I thought I was ready to go for another week,
or even day, only to realize half-way through my lesson the students weren‘t
responding or reacting to my questions. It seemed the students needed more time
to understand the questions, so my plans and questions would be tweaked within
38
the period. Even with thorough planning, you can never accurately predict what a
student will say or do. That was one of the most frustrating aspects for me. I like
to know what to expect and when to expect it to happen in my classroom.
I also felt very frustrated with myself at times. I would think through the
lesson and my questions, only to come to the implementation and in my eyes
―ruin‖ my question by asking simple yes/no or leading questions I was trying to
avoid. I think there were days when I realized I asked a question I didn‘t deem as
―essential‖, or not give students enough time to think before answering the
question myself. Another habit I found myself doing, even though I knew it was a
habit, was repeating students‘ answers. It was very frustrating at times watching
the videos during the implementation of my project only to see I was continuing
the habits I started with.
If I were to do more action research on questioning, I would definitely
start at the beginning of the school year. I would also work toward an open,
friendly atmosphere where every student feels comfortable sharing his or her
thoughts. Since I started my project halfway through the year, I think some
students were more concerned with the ―right‖ answer. When they weren‘t one
hundred percent sure what to do, they gave up instead of giving the question some
real thought.
This project could also use a way to hold students accountable for trying
to answer questions in class. I felt some of my students thought even if I called on
39
them that the most likely consequence for not having an answer would be that I
would call on someone else. I would like to devise a questioning rubric to use
during discussions and lecture to create some student accountability.
Even though I found many aspects frustrating, I was very happy when
students who usually seemed bored in class perked up because they were being
challenged intellectually. I would love to find more ways to spark those students‘
interest, yet also keep it on a level where the others do not feel lost or want to
immediately give up.
I also thought students retained some information better than the previous
year, or had better understanding of the ―why‖ behind the math they were doing.
On the unit test, I included a few of the same questions I asked in class, and many
students did quite a good job explaining their answers. It was good to see that at
least some of the students were listening in class.
Summary
Even though statistical analysis did not suggest significant improvements
in student attitudes, there were benefits of asking essential questions. Some
students who seemed unengaged were more interested and involved in classroom
discussion. However, adjustments to the questions asked and the teacher‘s role in
questioning may change the outcomes of this project. Essential questions can help
instruction if planned and implemented properly.
40
References
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increasing student motivation, participation, and higher-level thinking (2nd
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Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2006). The miniature guide to the art of asking essential
questions, (4th
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(2009, September/October). Teacher questioning to elicit students‘
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Good, T. L., & Brophy, J. E. (1994). Looking in classrooms (6th
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Grossier, P. (1964). How to Use the Fine Art of Questioning. New York: Teachers
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Hannel, G. I., and Hannel, L. (2005). Highly effective questioning, 4th
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Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2007). A Guide for Educators to Critical thinking
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Appendices
44
Appendix A
Question Examples
Related examples of each type of question discussed are given, one of each in
math, and one of each in another subject area.
Question Type Examples
Essential What is the purpose of ordering numbers?
What would someone do to you or your country that would
make you want to go to war?
Probing In this set of numbers, how did you decide which number is
largest?
(to follow the essential question and student responses)
What were some of the driving causes of the Revolutionary
War?
Leading 5 is farther to the right on the number line, so it is what
(greater than or less than) compared to -3?
Who won the Revolutionary War?
Yes-no simple: Is 5 greater than -3?
recall: Did the British wear red uniforms in the
Revolutionary War?
Yes-no to spark Are numbers real?
further inquiry
45
Appendix B
Teacher Behavior Coding Sheet
Coding Sheet – Modified from Olson (2008).
Teacher Behaviors Frequency
Lectures or gives directions (>30 sec)
Types of Questions
Yes/no Question
Leading Question
Probing Question
Critical Thinking Question
Extended-answer Question
Responses to Students
Rejects student comment
Acknowledges student comment (neutral)
Confirms student comment (praise)
Repeats student comment
Clarifies or interprets what student said
Wait Time
Inappropriate wait-time for student
response (less than 3-5 seconds)
Inappropriate wait-time II
Student Questions
Student asks question
Answers student question
Uses student question or idea
Questioning Strategies
Repeats question
Calls on one student before question
Calls on one student after question
Volunteer answer
No Student Response
Miscellaneous
46
Appendix C
Principal Consent Form
Questioning in the Classroom: The Effects of Engaging Questions on Attitude
Jenny Fries
1609 Monte Dr.
Mandan, ND 58554
Please read the attached copy of my proposal to study the effects of engaging
questions in my classroom on students‘ attitudes. I would greatly appreciate your
willingness to allow me to conduct this study within my classroom.
I, ______________________________, principal of _______________________
understand
the study and what it requires of the staff, students, and/or parents in my
school,
that the privacy and confidentiality of any staff or student will be protected,
that I have the right to allow or reject this research study to take place at my
school,
that I have the right to terminate the research study at any time,
that I have the right to review all consent forms and research documents at
any time during the study and up to three years after the completion of the
study.
I grant permission to the researcher to conduct the above named research in
my school as described in the proposal.
I DO NOT grant permission to the researcher to conduct the above named
research in my school as described in the proposal.
I understand that data should be released only by the departments that own
them. My staff and I shall not release data to the researcher without
approval from the IRB.
________________________________
Signature of Principal
47
Appendix D
IRB Approval
48
Appendix E
Consent Forms
Student Assent Form
Dear students,
Invitation to Participate
You are invited to participate in a research study on questioning in the math
classroom. This is part of a capstone project I am conducting for the graduate
program, MAT: Mathematics at Minot State University. The focus of the study is
on student attitudes while in the math classroom and effects of asking engaging
questions on student attitudes. You have been selected because you are a current
student in geometry.
Data Collection Procedures
If you do participate, you will be asked to complete a survey both before and after
the study. The survey will ask questions about your current view and attitude in
the math classroom. This will be completed during class time, so you will not be
asked to do any work on your own time. I will also be observing students and
noting observations of interactions and student comments in a journal.
Confidentiality
The information obtained from this study will be kept confidential and will only
be reported in statistical analyses with no specific connections made to
individuals. At no point will your identity be revealed. I will keep the information
from this study until completion; at that point all surveys and other means of data
collection will be destroyed. Electronic data will be protected with a password
and all other data in a locked safe to ensure confidentiality. All identifiers, such as
student names, will be removed from your surveys, scores and observations.
Risks & Benefits
There are no likely risks to participants of this study. Your decision to participate
is voluntary, and will not interfere with your grade for the class. You are free to
withdraw from the study at any time. Students who do not participate will not be
asked to complete the survey. Those who do participate will receive 10 bonus
points.
49
Contact Information
This research has been approved by Minot State University‘s Institutional Review
Board. If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, please
contact Jenny Fries at 663-9532 or [email protected], or Dr. Brent Askvig,
IRB Chair, at 701‐858‐3052 before you sign the form. You will be given a copy
of this form to keep if you choose to participate.
I , ___________________________, AGREE DO NOT AGREE (circle one)
(student‘s name)
to participate in the study.
Participant‘s Name (printed): _________________________________
Participant‘s Name (signed): _____________________________ Date: ______
Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,
Jenny Fries
50
Parent Consent Form
Dear parents,
Invitation to Participate
Your child is invited to participate in a research study on questioning in the math
classroom. This is part of a capstone project I am conducting for the graduate
program, MAT: Mathematics at Minot State University. The focus of the study is
on student attitudes while in the math classroom and effects of asking engaging
questions on student attitudes. Your child has been selected because he/she is a
current student in geometry.
Data Collection Procedures
If your child does participate, he/she will be asked to complete a survey both
before and after the study. The survey will ask questions about his/her current
view and attitude in the math classroom. This will be completed during class time,
so participants will not be asked to do any work on their own time. I will also be
observing students and noting observations of interactions and student comments
in a journal.
Confidentiality
The information obtained from this study will be kept confidential and will only
be reported in statistical analyses with no specific connections made to
individuals. At no point will participants‘ identities be revealed. I will keep the
information from this study until completion; at that point all surveys and other
means of data collection will be destroyed. Electronic data will be protected with
a password and all other data in a locked safe to ensure confidentiality. All
identifiers, such as student names, will be removed from your surveys, scores and
observations.
Risks & Benefits
There are no likely risks to participants of this study. The decision to participate is
voluntary, and will not interfere with anyone‘s grade for the class. Students may
choose to withdraw from the study at any time, and parents may also choose to
withdraw their child at any time. Students who do not participate will not be
asked to complete the survey. Those who do participate will receive 10 bonus
points.
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Contact Information
This research has been approved by Minot State University‘s Institutional Review
Board. If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, please
contact Jenny Fries at 663-9532 or [email protected], or Dr. Brent Askvig,
IRB Chair, at 701‐858‐3052 before you sign the form. You will be given a copy
of this form to keep if you choose to participate.
I AGREE DO NOT AGREE (circle one) to allow
______________________________ to participate in the study.
(student‘s name)
Participant‘s Name (printed): _________________________________
Parent/Guardian Name (printed): _____________________________
Parent/Guardian‘s Signature ____________________________ Date: ________
Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,
Jenny Fries
52
Appendix F
Student Attitude Survey
Put one check mark in the box corresponding to your feelings for each statement.
If you strongly agree, mark SA; if you agree, but not strongly or just partially,
mark A; if you disagree or slightly disagree, mark D; for strong disagreement
mark SD; if undecided or unsure of the meaning of the statement mark U.
Work and mark your answers quickly. Do not spend too much time on one
question.
Statement SA A D SD U
1. I feel comfortable asking questions in class.
2. Taking notes helps me to remember class
material.
3. Thinking about questions in class helps me to
learn material better.
4. Math lecture is a waste of time.
5. I don't ask questions because I feel stupid if I do.
6. I am not given enough time to think about my
answers to questions.
7. Examples in class help me on my homework.
8. Hearing questions and answers in class help me to
understand new math topics.
9. Math lecture and notes help me learn new
material.
10. I will use the math I learn in real life.
11. I would rather read the book to learn than have it
presented as lecture or notes.
12. Questions in math class are confusing.
13. Questions in class challenge me to think about
math problems.
14. If I am not 100% sure of my answer to a question,
I say "I don't know."
15. I don't need to pay attention during class because
the questions asked are easy to answer.
16. I don't like sharing my answers to questions, even
in small groups.
17. Math is not important for my life.
18. Questions in math class have nothing to do with
the lesson.
53
19. I fear having to answer a question on my own in
class.
20. I see a connection between questions asked in
class and questions on assignments and tests.
21. Lecture helps me learn new concepts.
22. I feel nervous when the teacher is about to call on
a student to answer a question.
23. Taking notes is just a way to stay awake in class.
24. I can't think when questions are posed because I
feel pressured to find the "right" answer.
25. I can learn more by asking questions in class.
26. I feel dumb if I answer a question incorrectly.
27. Questions in class are not challenging and require
little or no thought.
28. Concepts we cover in class are not used outside
the math classroom.
29. I feel ignored when I ask questions in class.
30. Thinking about questions in class help my critical
thinking skills for other classes too.
31. I feel more comfortable sharing my answers with
a small group rather than the entire class.
54
Appendix G
Student Attitude Survey Key
Key:
Q Confidence in asking and answering questions
L Learning gains due to notes, lecture, and questions
U Usefulness of time spent on lecture, notes, and questions
+ Question reflects a positive attitude
- Question reflects a negative attitude
Statement Category
of
Statement
Attitude
1. I feel comfortable asking questions in class. Q +
2. Taking notes helps me to remember class material. L +
3. Thinking about questions in class helps me to learn
material better.
L +
4. Math lecture is a waste of time. U -
5. I don't ask questions because I feel stupid if I do. Q -
6. I am not given enough time to think about my answers
to questions.
Q -
7. Examples in class help me on my homework. L +
8. Hearing questions and answers in class help me to
understand new math topics.
L +
9. Math lecture and notes help me learn new material. L +
10. I will use the math I learn in real life. U +
11. I would rather read the book to learn than have it
presented as lecture or notes.
L -
12. Questions in math class are confusing. Q -
13. Questions in class challenge me to think about math
problems.
L +
14. If I am not 100% sure of my answer to a question, I
say "I don't know."
Q -
15. I don't need to pay attention during class because they
are easy to answer.
L -
16. I don't like sharing my answers to questions, even in
small groups.
Q -
17. Math is not important for my life. U -
55
18. Questions in math class have nothing to do with the
lesson.
U -
19. I fear having to answer a question on my own in class. Q -
20. I see a connection between questions asked in class
and questions on assignments and tests.
U +
21. Lecture helps me learn new concepts. L +
22. I feel nervous when the teacher is about to call on a
student to answer a question.
Q -
23. Taking notes is just a way to stay awake in class. U -
24. I can't think when questions are posed because I feel
pressured to find the "right" answer.
Q -
25. I can learn more by asking questions in class. L +
26. I feel dumb if I answer a question incorrectly. Q -
27. Questions in class are not challenging and require little
or no thought.
L -
28. Concepts we cover in class are not used outside the
math classroom.
U -
29. I feel ignored when I ask questions in class. Q -
30. Thinking about questions in class help my critical
thinking skills for other classes too.
U +
31. I feel more comfortable sharing my answers with a
small group rather than the entire class.
Q +
56
Appendix H
Responses and Questioning Strategies Tables
Table AG1
Occurrence of Responses
Percent Occurrence
Responses to Student Comments Pre-Study During Study
Ignore 3.3% 3.7%
Rejects 3.3% 2.1%
Acknowledges (neutral) 22.8% 29.8%
Confirms (praise) 8.9% 9.6%
Repeats 47.2% 45.7%
Clarifies or interprets 14.6% 9.0%
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Table AG2
Occurrence of Questioning Strategies
Percent Occurrence
Questioning Strategies Pre-Study During Study
Class/Vote 6.5% 6.7%
Repeats/Rephrases 16.8% 14.2%
Calls on one student before question 10.3% 2.4%
Calls on one student after question 4.9% 13.8%
Volunteer answer 52.2% 55.7%
No Student Response 4.3% 4.4%
Answers own question 4.9% 2.8%