Problematizing teacher questioning behavior in the First-year University EAP Classroom

Abstract

Crucial to language teaching and learning is classroom interaction, which is often instantiated through teacher questions. However, most research on teacher questions has been centered on EFL/ESL contexts at the secondary level. Furthermore, two types of questions that have been extensively explicated fall within two categories: display and referential. These two well-known question types have yet to receive adequate examination in the EAP and tertiary context. Much of existing research has predominantly focused on quantitatively counting and attributing student responses to these question types. However, to date, relatively limited is known about the pedagogical rationale informing the choice of these question types. In this presentation, data from classroom observations and interviews with teachers from varying backgrounds in a large-scale first-year general EAP course is utilized to explore the pedagogical rationale, strategies, and conditions underlying display and referential questions. Comparison with the literature on teacher questioning behavior in ELT is also undertaken by a quantitative assessment of these questions. A preliminary analysis indicates that the questioning behavior of these teachers is complex, varied, multifaceted, and contextually dependent on teacher rationale. This implies that a more holistic understanding of display and referential questions is necessary in research.