Why ask why? An analysis of teachers' why-questions in elementary and middle grade mathematics classrooms.
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| Title: | Why ask why? An analysis of teachers' why-questions in elementary and middle grade mathematics classrooms. |
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| Authors: | Melhuish, Kathleen1 (AUTHOR) melhuish@txstate.edu, Strickland, Sharon K.1 (AUTHOR), Han, Simon2 (AUTHOR), Sorto, M. Alejandra1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. Feb2026, Vol. 29 Issue 1, p7-33. 27p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Mathematics education, *Teacher-student communication, *Eighth grade (Education), *Critical thinking, *Teacher education |
| Abstract: | Teacher questioning serves a crucial role in creating classrooms where students' mathematical reasoning is centered. Generally, why-questions are positioned as powerful tools to probe student thinking and engage students in mathematical argumentation. Yet, in our recent research we found that why-questions did not serve to differentiate traditional classrooms from those with a focus on justification and explanation. In this study, we investigated how linguistically similarly why-questions may operate differently. We leveraged disparate literature bases to frame the ambiguity of why-questions and analyzed a set of 61 lessons representing three school districts and spanning grades four through eight. We found that expected student responses to why-questions ranged from a recalled fact to rich justification depending on a number of contextual features. These differences in why-questions accounted for significant variation in student activity in lessons. We suggest that mathematics teacher educators similarly problematize why-questions in order to maximize their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Teacher questioning serves a crucial role in creating classrooms where students' mathematical reasoning is centered. Generally, why-questions are positioned as powerful tools to probe student thinking and engage students in mathematical argumentation. Yet, in our recent research we found that why-questions did not serve to differentiate traditional classrooms from those with a focus on justification and explanation. In this study, we investigated how linguistically similarly why-questions may operate differently. We leveraged disparate literature bases to frame the ambiguity of why-questions and analyzed a set of 61 lessons representing three school districts and spanning grades four through eight. We found that expected student responses to why-questions ranged from a recalled fact to rich justification depending on a number of contextual features. These differences in why-questions accounted for significant variation in student activity in lessons. We suggest that mathematics teacher educators similarly problematize why-questions in order to maximize their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 13864416 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10857-024-09644-4 |
