Case 2: Purposeful Questioning In Action: Authentic Learning Experiences for Teacher Candidates

The act of questioning is a foundational pedagogical practice within the teaching and learning of mathematics that can strongly influence students’ learning (e.g., Herbel-Eisenmann & Breyfogle, 2005; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2014). Moreover, within the teaching and learning of mathematics, NCTM (2014) posits that posing purposeful questions is one of eight effective teaching practices that should occur within a classroom space. Purposeful, high-quality questioning provides the space for teachers to probe and extend students’ thinking by making reasoning processes “visible” and public (NCTM, 2014). Purposeful and intentional questions provide students’ opportunities to share their strategies, justify their thinking, and connect to other’s thinking and different representations to promote a deeper mathematical understanding (e.g., Bulgar et al., 2002; Franke et al., 2007; & Maher, 1999; NCTM, 2014). However, all questions are not created equal. For questions to connect to deeper mathematical learning, “two critical issues must be considered—the types of questions that teachers ask and the patterns of questions that they use” (NCTM, 2014, p. 36).