To identify question and response patterns in a lesson

Aim

To identify question and response patterns in a lesson.

Evidence and reflection

For this activity you could either choose to audio/video record a lesson you teach or, with their agreement, observe a colleague’s lesson. Choose three five-minute periods in the teaching sessions (e.g. at the beginning, middle and end) and note the questions asked. Identify the questions which are closed and those which are open. How many follow either an IRE or an IRF pattern? Were there opportunities for children to formulate their answers because they were given wait time?

Extension

Were there opportunities for children to ask questions themselves, of you and of each other?

More in this chapter

• To investigate who speaks and how much during a lesson
• To investigate teacher's handling of pupil's responses within 'question and answer' exchanges
• To analyse listening demands in the lesson
• To appraise the listening skills of individuals
• To investigate aspects in the delivery of expositions
• To examine how an exposition is structured
• To investigate teacher questions within question-and-answer exchanges
• To analyse and categorise an example of classroom talk
• To provide a framework for analysing classroom questions.
• To examine discussion skills
• To reflect on what messages we, as teachers, communicate about reading to learners
• To compare and contrast the writing and reading expectations of two different teachers
• To highlight some of our own responses to language varieties