Announcement of Ed.D. Dissertation Defense Kristen M. Crawford: “A Framework for Planning to Improve Teacher Questioning in the Science Classroom”

The release of NGSS in 2013 brought forth uncertainty among K-12 educators on how to translate these standards into practical science lessons (Harris et al., 2017). One important instructional change that teachers still need assistance with is supporting sensemaking. To guide students in the process of sensemaking, teachers must ask questions that elicit responses that can help them understand student thinking (Science SCASS States, 2018). While asking questions is a common aspect of teaching, knowing what questions to ask in order to support students can be a difficult task for teachers (Biggers, 2018; Edmondson & Choudhry, 2018; Hansen & Buczynski, 2013, Harris et al., 2012). Prior research on teacher questioning highlights how teachers use questioning in the classroom; however, very few studies have focused on supporting teachers in planning and developing such questions. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for questioning for the inquiry classroom and examine how teachers use this framework including their successes and struggles. This qualitative study was designed to investigate how teachers interpret the components of the inquiry science classroom and design questions that lead students to figuring out science phenomena. This study gathered data from a five-day professional development for teachers in grades K-12, including pre and post surveys. The data collected focused on teacher’s understanding of the inquiry science classroom and science and engineering practices. The study documented the reported barriers that prevented teachers from planning for questioning and how these barriers affected their interpretation and use of the QPIC framework. The outcomes of the study will inform professional development and teaching practices in science education.

To access the Zoom link required to attend this defense, please contact academic.services@gse.rutgers.edu.