A Study On EFL Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs About Classroom Questioning And Their Questioning Practices

As one of the most frequently used teaching tools and one of the most common forms of classroom interaction,questioning plays an important role in classroom teaching.Given its importance,there has been a growing scholarly interest in classroom questioning.However,research interest in questioning in EFL contexts has largely applied to the measurement and development of teachers’ questioning practices from different aspects such as question type and level,wait time,teachers’feedback and so on.Despite heavy achievements on the findings of teachers’ observable questioning practices,relatively speaking,little has been achieved in the research on teachers’beliefs about classroom questioning.With regard to preservice EFL teachers,this research is relatively scarce.Meanwhile,it would be remiss if the relationship between teachers’beliefs and practices is not explored given the demonstrated influence of the former on the latter.To gain an in-depth understanding of the issue,the present study investigated nine preservice teachers’ beliefs and actual practices about classroom questioning in the dimensions of question type and level,wait time,ways of answering,and teachers’feedback,particularly focusing on the relationship between the two parts as well as the underlying reasons.Data were collected via interviews,video recordings of classroom teaching and stimulated recalls.The study was guided by the following three research questions:(1)What are the preservice teachers’ beliefs about classroom questioning?(2)Is there any inconsistency in their beliefs and actual teaching practices?If yes,in what aspects?(3)What are the reasons underlying the inconsistencies?It was found that the preservice teachers held certain beliefs about classroom questioning.For example,with regard to question type and level,they prioritized the two lower levels,namely remembering and understanding,in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy.Meanwhile,inconsistency between what the teachers intended to do and what they ended up doing in the classroom was also found in terms of wait time and teachers’ feedback.It was found that the average wait time they provided to students was less than what they believed they would give.As for teachers’ feedback,their behavior was also simpler than what they claimed.Furthermore,as understood from the preservice teachers’ recalls,contextual factors and the tension between vision and reality played important roles in mediating the relationship between the teachers’stated beliefs and practices.The implications drawn from the study are useful for research,teacher education and language pedagogy.For researchers,the findings of this study may contribute to the ongoing research into classroom questioning and teachers’ beliefs.For teacher educators,findings of this study provide valuable information for them to understand student teachers’ beliefs,which further helps them interpret and define the goals and curricula of teacher education programs.For preservice teachers,and in-service teachers,this study encourages them to reflect on their learned beliefs and their practices so as to improve their questioning practices.