Promoting Student Questions in Mathematics Classrooms

• In Event: Promoting Discourse in Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

Question asking is an important part of the learning process. One of our goals as educators is to encourage students to ask questions that focus on developing conceptual knowledge. To do this, we first need to better understand the factors involved in student question asking. This study looks in depth at one high school mathematics teacher who promotes rich mathematical question asking among her students. She does this by creating a safe learning environment, shifting responsibility to learn onto her students, by modeling good question asking, and through explicitly valuing sense-making. This study hopes to help teachers and educators think about how to promote more student questions in mathematics classrooms.

Author

• Melissa Kemmerle, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor