Exploring Changes in Pre-service Science Teachers’ Questioning Purposes and Classroom Discourse through the Reflective Activity of Questioning Considering the Context of Discourse

In this study, we developed a reflective activity of questioning considering the context of discourse and applied it during a teaching practicum. Two pre-service chemistry teachers participated in the study. The reflective activity consisted of a questioning workshop and a reflection using videos of their own lessons. To analyze the effects of the activity, the purposes of questioning and the types of classroom discourse before and after the activity were analyzed and compared. After participating in the activity, the pre-service teachers used more questions to elicit students’ thinking. However, they still had difficulties in preparing for unexpected student responses and providing appropriate feedback. The use of dialogic discourse also increased. Yet, when students did not respond to the questions, one pre-service teacher attempted to shift the instruction to non-interactive discourse. Based on these results, educational implications for enhancing pre-service science teachers’ questioning skills are discussed.