Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China

Lianchun Dong; Wee Tiong Seah; David Clarke

doi:10.12973/ejmste/79630

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Lianchun Dong ¹ ^* , Wee Tiong Seah ², David Clarke ²

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¹ Minzu University of China, College of Sciences, Beijing, CHINA² Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

During the last decades, curriculum reform has been implemented in mainland China to emphasize classroom interaction in mathematics teaching and learning. The intention to create more chances for classroom interaction in large-size classrooms has led to the introduction of self-learning guide which allows students to go through the learning contents before the classroom learning. This study investigates the pedagogical tensions emerging in a mainland Chinese mathematics teacher’s practices of using self-learning guide to reform classroom questioning. The analytical entry point is the examination of the IRF (Initiation/Response/Follow-up) structures evident in the reform-based mathematics classroom interactions. The results show that, by using various reform-based questioning strategies, students were given adequate opportunities to present and share their mathematical thinking and ideas. The nature of the pedagogical tensions has shifted from imbalance of time allocation for classroom discussion and lecturing to imbalance of opportunities for guided classroom discussion and elaborated classroom discussion.

Keywords

teacher questioning
reform-based
pedagogical tensions
Chinese
mathematics

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2018, Volume 14, Issue 1, 167-181

https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

Publication date: 02 Nov 2017

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How to cite this article

APA

Dong, L., Seah, W. T., & Clarke, D. (2018). Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(1), 167-181. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

Vancouver

Dong L, Seah WT, Clarke D. Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(1):167-81. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

AMA

Dong L, Seah WT, Clarke D. Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(1), 167-181. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

Chicago

Dong, Lianchun, Wee Tiong Seah, and David Clarke. "Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2018 14 no. 1 (2018): 167-181. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

Harvard

Dong, L., Seah, W. T., and Clarke, D. (2018). Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(1), pp. 167-181. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630

MLA

Dong, Lianchun et al. "Pedagogical Tensions in Teacher’s Questioning Practices in the Mathematics Classroom: A Case in Mainland China". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 14, no. 1, 2018, pp. 167-181. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79630