AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM QUESTIONS ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS ( EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
This research study investigated the influence of teachers’ classroom questioning techniques on the achievement of students in mathematics, in some selected Junior Secondary Schools in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The study was to investigate how students perceived the influence of teachers’ classroom questioning techniques on their achievements in mathematics. A total of 4 secondary schools and 400 students Junior Secondary Schools in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State were used for the samples for this study. Four research questions were formulated to guide the research. There were two instruments utilized for data collection, male and female students. The questionnaire was used with twenty questions for the purpose of data collection. The data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, that is, frequency counts, mean and percentages. The finding shows that male students tend to perceive the use of questioning techniques by teachers in the classroom more than the female students. Finally, recommendations were preferred to teachers and government for the mathematics teaching-learning process could be made more explicit and enjoyable in order to boost students’ performance in (junior) secondary schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
One of the major duties of mathematics classroom teacher is to promote thought and inspire inquiry in students and one effective way of doing this is through proper questioning in the classroom. Caram and Davis (2005) emphasized that when teachers’ questions are used correctly, it can enhance students learning by developing critical thinking skills reinforce student understanding correct students misunderstanding, provide feedback for students and enliven classroom discussions. Teachers’ questions are significant values for many instructional purposes eliciting student reflection and challenging deeper student understanding and engagement in the classroom.
According to Croom and Stair (2005) stated that “Classroom questions are best used as diagnostic tools to help indicate student’s academic progress or to assess students critical thinking”. This was supported by Vogler (2005), “questions can monitor comprehension, help make connections to prior learning and can stimulate cognitive growth. Classroom teachers are aware that it is possible to transfer factual knowledge and conceptual understanding through the process of asking questions.
Danielson (1996), “good and skilled classroom questions, when they are carefully crfted and framed engages students in a true exploration of the content and allows the students to exhibit their understanding of the concept”, where as, unskilled classroom questions from the teachers focus on short-answer, low-level questions which just check for students knowledge. Danielson (1996) called theses types of questions as “recitation questions” rather than “indepth discussion questions”. The unskilled classroom questions from the teachers are poor questions, boring, comprehensive to only a few students, narrow and the teacher has a single answer in mind, even when choices are possible.
