Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges

Asking high-level questions is an effective strategy for developing learners’ thinking. Despite the importance of this strategy in promoting and guiding students' thinking, it is found that a great number of teachers ask lower-level questions more than higher-level questions. This is assumed t...

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Main Authors: Meriem Kater, Yasmine Boukhedimi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bejaia Abderrahmane Mira 2024-12-01
Series:The Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/491
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author Meriem Kater
Yasmine Boukhedimi
author_facet Meriem Kater
Yasmine Boukhedimi
author_sort Meriem Kater
collection DOAJ
description Asking high-level questions is an effective strategy for developing learners’ thinking. Despite the importance of this strategy in promoting and guiding students' thinking, it is found that a great number of teachers ask lower-level questions more than higher-level questions. This is assumed to be due to several challenges related to teachers, students, and other factors. The present research, therefore, attempts to explore the implementation of high-level questions and the challenges that face teachers in incorporating these types of questions in second-year English degree classrooms at the University of Algiers 2. To this end, a mixed-methods approach was adopted using various research methods namely: a questionnaire, an interview, and an observation checklist. The research findings revealed that lower-level questions were used more frequently than higher-level questions. The data obtained from the research tools showed that for the implementation of higher-level questions, the teacher used some techniques such as increasing wait time, repeating the same question several times, and inviting non-volunteering students. Further, it was found that students’ low proficiency, lack of vocabulary, teachers may not be trained to ask high-level questions, as well as large classrooms and lengthy syllabi were the most common challenges. Based on these findings, several pedagogical implications are given. The study recommends a careful planning of questions; matching questions with their purposes; the need to reduce tuition groups; and the need to develop teachers' questioning skills.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2716-9189
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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series The Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society
spelling doaj-art-a669d1cbdafe466e86ea96dd6f9923702025-08-20T03:56:04ZengUniversity of Bejaia Abderrahmane MiraThe Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society2716-91892676-17502024-12-0173Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and ChallengesMeriem Kater0Yasmine Boukhedimi1University of Algiers 2 Abou Kacem Saad Allah, AlgeriaUniversity of Algiers 2 Abou Kacem Saad Allah, Algeria Asking high-level questions is an effective strategy for developing learners’ thinking. Despite the importance of this strategy in promoting and guiding students' thinking, it is found that a great number of teachers ask lower-level questions more than higher-level questions. This is assumed to be due to several challenges related to teachers, students, and other factors. The present research, therefore, attempts to explore the implementation of high-level questions and the challenges that face teachers in incorporating these types of questions in second-year English degree classrooms at the University of Algiers 2. To this end, a mixed-methods approach was adopted using various research methods namely: a questionnaire, an interview, and an observation checklist. The research findings revealed that lower-level questions were used more frequently than higher-level questions. The data obtained from the research tools showed that for the implementation of higher-level questions, the teacher used some techniques such as increasing wait time, repeating the same question several times, and inviting non-volunteering students. Further, it was found that students’ low proficiency, lack of vocabulary, teachers may not be trained to ask high-level questions, as well as large classrooms and lengthy syllabi were the most common challenges. Based on these findings, several pedagogical implications are given. The study recommends a careful planning of questions; matching questions with their purposes; the need to reduce tuition groups; and the need to develop teachers' questioning skills. https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/491challengesEFL teachershigh-level questionslow-level questionsquestioning skills
spellingShingle Meriem Kater
Yasmine Boukhedimi
Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
The Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society
challenges
EFL teachers
high-level questions
low-level questions
questioning skills
title Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
title_full Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
title_fullStr Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
title_full_unstemmed Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
title_short Integrating High-level Questions in Second-Year English Degree Classrooms: Implementation and Challenges
title_sort integrating high level questions in second year english degree classrooms implementation and challenges
topic challenges
EFL teachers
high-level questions
low-level questions
questioning skills
url https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/491
work_keys_str_mv AT meriemkater integratinghighlevelquestionsinsecondyearenglishdegreeclassroomsimplementationandchallenges
AT yasmineboukhedimi integratinghighlevelquestionsinsecondyearenglishdegreeclassroomsimplementationandchallenges