Investigating questioning and interactions in the elementary mathematics classroom

This is a case study of two elementary teachers' development and change over time with respect to fostering a math-talk classroom. One teacher was beginning the process of National Board Certification and the other teacher became certified two years prior. A critical component of the certification process is reflection on one's teaching practice. As National Board candidates reflect on their practice, they study closely the type of interactions in their classrooms along with research-based teaching practices such as questioning. The key areas of this study were teacher moves, specifically the types of questions and interactions which encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.;The significance of this study was to show that when teachers are actively involved in examining and reflecting on their teaching practice, the quality of questioning and teacher moves and the type of interactions in the classroom change. These changes ultimately impact student learning. The qualitative data were collected through teacher interviews, teacher reflective journals, audiotapes and observations of classroom lessons, and teacher and anonymous student questionnaires The audiotapes were transcribed and coded. The teacher interview questions and prompts for reflective journaling were based upon the classroom observations.;The study revealed teacher moves, in particular question types that resulted in greater student-to-student interaction and meaningful mathematical conversation. These findings serve as a baseline to consider what might be possible triggers for teacher change.