Intra-observer evaluation of teacher-student questioning behaviours: A case study of the quality and frequency of questions administered in physical education theory class

Abstract

Questioning in teaching and learning environment is an effective way of encouraging learners to contribute to the subject matter. A lesson is incomplete without questioning learners or offering learners the opportunity to question the teacher. Teachers should engage learners in high-order questions that trigger critical thinking in teaching and learning environment. However, studies that focused on judging the quality of questions generated in classroom setting revealed that most classroom questions fell within lower-order of thinking (Caspari-Sadeghi et al., 2021; Momsen et al., 2010). Again, earlier study conducted by a group of psychologists revealed that over ninety-five percent (95%) of the questions learners encountered required them to think at the lowest possible level - the recall of information (Bloom et al., 1956). Based on Bloom’s original work relating to cognitive levels of thinking, we conducted a descriptive analysis of the quality and frequency of questions administered in a lesson involving 38 students of a College of Education and one physical education teacher (intern of a University in Ghana). Specifically, we concentrated on classroom behaviours that related to the quality and frequency of questions asked in physical education (PE) classroom setting. From a video-recorded lesson, data on questioning behaviours of students and the teacher in a theory physical education class were collected via self-developed event recording instrument. An expert in research (senior university faculty) inspected and approved the instrument for collecting accurate data for the study. Data were descriptively analyzed and presented in tables and figures. Analysis of intra-observer results revealed that most of the classroom questions were lower-order questions that did not promote critical thinking among students. In order of magnitude (lowest level to highest level), questions asked by the teacher occurred at the level of knowledge, understanding, synthesis and evaluation. Findings also revealed that there was no question asked at the level of application and analysis by the teacher in the entire 35 minutes lesson. The study showed that students did not ask any question(s) in the entire duration of the lesson. We recommend that questions of various levels should form part of planning decisions of every teacher.