Teacher-child interaction initiated with children’s questions

Abstract

This paper presents a round of research conducted with the aim of determining the characteristics of interaction situations involving pre-schoolers and their teachers and initiated with children?s questions. Insight into the existing body of research shows that there is a lack of similar studies, which address the cognitive side of such situations, but where the social aspect is neglected. Systematic observation was used to describe interaction situations in preschools initiated by children aged three to six years asking teachers questions. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis was performed, indicating consistency between the type of the child?s question, the teacher?s answer and the course of the interaction. After children receive answers to their questions requesting new information (cognitive questions) or those intended to create conditions necessary for particular activities (action-related questions), interaction ends. On the other hand, children ask so-called social questions for the sake of interaction, and it depends on the teacher?s reply whether they will develop. Another finding suggests that children?s questions are not automatically welcome at just any moment, especially if they go beyond the limits of the teacher guided activity in progress at the time the question is asked. The research findings afford remarkable insight into how preschool teachers with their different adequate responses and behaviours can support children?s development and learning in children- initiated interaction situations.