ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS - ONE TEACHERS VIEW OF STUDENTS AND THEIR QUESTIONS IN A 4TH-GRADE CLASSROOM

While many teachers agree that the questions students ask are valuable , researchers have found that student questions are notably absent fro m most classrooms. We know almost nothing about the exceptions to this -classrooms where teachers manage to elicit and use student questions effectively in instruction. One fourth grade teacher, known for her us e of student questions, was selected for this study. Classroom observa tions and interviews were used to gather data; qualitative methods wer e utilized to analyze the teacher interviews and the interactions surr ounding 260 questions students asked during observations. This paper h ighlights the teacher's stance toward her students and their questions . 1) The teacher viewed her students as learners who asked questions t o increase their understanding. 2) The teacher viewed the assumptions revealed by student questions, as 'steps' to the curriculum. 3) The te acher viewed her students' questions through the lens of potential; th at is, she responded to questions based on how they might promote the understanding of her students. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.