A Study on Teachers' Techniques in Delivering Questions in Four English Skills During Classroom Interaction

Abstract

Questions are essential because teachers can conveniently and effectively use them to engage students’ thinking about issues, problems, and topics under discussion. The teachers’ effectiveness as a questioner depends not only on devising on good questions, but also on the way questions are asked. Effective application of a series of questioning techniques can make the difference between a class of students who are passive, confused, frustrated, and mentally unchallenged, and a class of students who are active, stimulated, and reflective. This research was conducted at English Education Program, Faculty o f Teacher Training and Education, Jember University. The problem o f the research is what are the teachers techniques in delivering questions in four English skills during classroom interaction. The objective of the research is to describe the teachers’ techniques in delivering questions in four English skills during the classroom interaction. The respondents of the research was the lecturers o f four English skills for Speaking U, Writing U, Listening U, and Reading U in third semester for 2003 level of students. The data were collected by observation and documentation. The data was analyzed by using descriptive analysis. The research result showed a broad picture of teachers’ techniques in delivering questions in classroom interaction that they used some techniques in delivering questions in each session of questioning activity during classroom interaction. Firstly, teachers phrased the questions well to the ability level of the students. Secondly, teachers rarely adapted questions. Thirdly, teachers asked questions sequentially. The sequences of questioning started with lower level questions and progressed to stimulating higher level thinking. Fourthly, teachers did not balance questions at a variety o f levels. Questions were primarily engaged in convergent thinking to have the students to recall or recognize information and demonstrate understanding of the material given. Fifthly, teachers rarely probed initial student’s response to questions. Sixthly, teachers used purposively wait time after asking questions and after students’ responses. Seventhly, teachers rarely used questions to encourage students’ involvement by balancing responses from volunteering and non volunteering students. Teachers chose to give the same chance to all students first or volunteering. Finally, teachers rarely requested students to ask questions. Based on the research results, teachers are suggested to develop the techniques in questioning especially in encouraging students to formulate questions in order to the students become more actively involved in the teaching learning process.