Authoritative Questioning and Science Teaching in Saudi Arabian Context

Abstract

This qualitative study reports on the features of two teachers’ questioning practices when teaching density for grade-six science elementary students. By adapting IRE questioning framework, this paper investigated issues in relation to the use of questioning as formative assessment strategy. The data revealed that teachers used authoritative questions to keep classroom interactions focused on what they expected to hear. The questioning implementations showed that teachers were unaware of students’ conceptual change. It also revealed that teachers employed scaffolding strategies that support their authority. Implications for science educators include the need to develop appropriate models for teacher-student interactions that consider student contributions and encourage more dialogic teaching.