The use of questioning as a teaching strategy : a case study of Social Studies in grade seven

Abstract

This study explored teachers’ effective use of questioning as a teaching strategy in Social Studies in grade seven within a primary school in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). The advent of free primary education has brought about large class sizes, but the desire to produce quality education persists. The literature distilled in the study showed that, although a considerable body of studies has established that questioning in the classroom helps direct learning, many teachers fail to utilise it as such. Those who endeavour to use it succeed in engaging their learners, and this results in teaching effectiveness and good outcomes for their learners. The study employed the interpretive paradigm because of the in-depth nature of the investigation. It therefore was a qualitative study that used observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to gather data and attain the objectives of the study. It was a case study in which four Social Studies teachers took part. Observations were made for at least for 60 minutes in each classroom. Field notes were taken and later analysed. Individual interviews were conducted with the teachers. The results of the study showed that teachers did not use questions to direct teaching and learning, and had no knowledge of the concept of wait time. They also said that they had not been taught questioning strategies in their pre- service teacher training. This was consistent with the literature. Though research shows that questioning promotes effective teaching, the studies reviewed indicated that few teachers use it as an instructional tool. The implications derived from the present study are therefore that pre-service teacher training has to be improved to cater for such important topics as classroom questioning. Also to be improved is further professional development. There is a significant need for action at the macro- and micro-levels of the educational system towards improvement. The actions at the micro-level will be determined by diligent policies designed and executed at that level, that is, the level of the school.

Hierdie studie verken onderwysers se benutting van vraagstelling as onderrigstrategie in Sosiale Studies in Graad 7 by ʼn primêre skool in die koninkryk Eswatini (voorheen Swaziland). In weerwil daarvan dat gratis primêre onderrig groot klasse tot gevolg het, moet gehalteonderwys steeds nagestreef word. Volgens die literatuur wat geraadpleeg is, toon talle studies dat vraagstelling in die klas regstreekse leer bevorder. Onderwysers wat vrae aan leerders stel, gee doeltreffend onderwys omdat hulle leerders betrek, en sodoende ʼn goeie uitkoms behaal. Desondanks pas min onderwysers hierdie strategie toe. Op grond van die aard van hierdie ondersoek, is ʼn vertolkende paradigma gevolg. In hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is data deur waarneming en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel. Elke klas is vir minstens 60 minute waargeneem en veldaantekeninge is gemaak wat later ontleed is. Vier onderwysers wat Sosiale Studies onderrig, was deel van die gevallestudie. ʼn Onderhoud is met elkeen gevoer. In hierdie studie is bevind dat die onderwysers geen vrae in die klas gestel het nie. Hulle het ook nie die begrip van wagtyd geken nie, aangesien hulle nooit in vraagstellingstrategieë opgelei is nie. Dit verklaar bevindings in die literatuur dat min onderwysers vraagstelling in die klas gebruik. Vraagstelling moet dus deel van onderwysers se opleiding uitmaak. Hierbenewens moet die professionele ontwikkeling van onderwysers aandag geniet. Voorts is dit noodsaaklik dat die onderwysstelsel op sowel mikro- as makrovlak verbeter word. Ingryping op mikrovlak sal deur die uitvoering van beleid op skoolvlak bepaal word.

Lesifundvo sihlose kusebentisa ngemphumelelo inchubo yekubuta njengelisu lekufundzisa ku-Social Studies kuLibanga 7 ngekhatsi kwesikolwa semabanga laphasi Eswatini (lebeyatiwa ngeSwaziland ngaphambilini). Kufika kwemfundvo yamahhala yemabanga laphasi kwente kwekutsi emaklasi agcwale kakhulu, kodvwa sifiso sekukhicita imfundvo leyikhwalithi siyachubeka. Ilitheretja lebuyeketiwe esifundvweni ikhombisa kwekutsi, nanobe umtimba lobantana wetifundvo utfole kwekutsi inchubo yekubuta eklasini isita kucondzisa kufundza, bothishela labanyenti bayehluleka kukusebentisa ngendlela lefanele. Laba labetama kukusebentisa bayaphumelela ekumbandzakanyeni bafundzi babo, futsi loku kuholela ekufundziseni ngemphumelelo kanye nemiphumela lemihle kubafundzi babo. Lesifundvo sisebentise umcondvo lohumushako ngesizatfu seluhlobo lolujulile lwekuphenya. Ngako-ke bekusifundvo sebunyenti lapho kusetjentiswe khona kubuka kanye nekubuta lokungakahleleki ngalokuphelele lokujulile kugcogca idatha kanye nekutfola tinjongo tesifundvo. Kuhlanganyele bothishela labane beSocial Studies kulesifundvo sekuhlola. Luhlelo lwekubuka lwentiwe lokungenani imizuzu lengema-60 eklasini ngalinye. Kutsatfwe emanotsi futsi ahlatiywa ngemuva kwesikhatsi. Kubutwe bothishela ngamunye. Imiphumela yesifundvo ikhombisa kwekutsi bothishe abakasebentini imibuto kucondzisa kufundzisa nekufundza, futsi bebangenalwati ngemcondvo wesikhatsi sekulindza. Baphindze baphawula kwekutsi abakafundzisiswa emasu ekubuta ekucecesheni kwabo kwangaphambi kwekufundzisisa. Loku bekufanana ngelitheretja. Nanobe lucwaningo lukhombisa kwekutsi kubuta kugcugcutela kufundzisa ngemphumelelo, letifundvo letibuyeketiwe tikhombisa kwekutsi bothishela labambalwa bakusebentisa njengelithuluzi lekuyalela. Imiphumela letfolwe kulesifundvo samanje kutsi kucecesha kwabothishela kwangaphambi kwekufundzisa kumele kwentiwencono kute kufake tihloko letifana nekubuta eklasini. Loku lokumele kwentiwencono kuchubeka ngekutfutfukiswa kwalobucwepheshe. Kunesidzingo lesikhulu sesinyatselo etigabeni letincane kakhulu nasetigabeni letincane teluhlelo lwemfundvo ngasekwentenincono. Letinyatselo esigabeni lesincane titawuncunywa nguletinchubomgomo letihlelwe futsi tasetjentiswa kuleso sigaba, lekusigaba sesikolo.