9. How long does the teacher wait after asking questions? Be specific. Do you believe he/she waits long enough? What does current research show about the relationship between student participation and wait time? Include information from the class text and class discussion.
From my experience, as a student, I have found that many teachers don’t allow enough wait time after asking a question. This makes it difficult for students to reflect on past experiences or lessons before responding. However, Mr. Bassett seemed to wait a sufficient amount of time to provide students with enough time to maximize critical thinking. After timing him, I found that he waited around 3.7 seconds on average. According to researchers, student interaction is increased when teachers wait an average of 3 seconds after posing a question. That study indicates that Mr. Bassett provides sufficient time for students evaluate the question and then respond. By doing so, the students were able to provide answers that lead to a class discussion. They were able to utilize prior knowledge to reach an advanced level of analysis on the topic.
However I did observe another class in which the teacher did not provide much wait time at all. She often asked a question and expected an answer immediately. I could tell that she was quickly growing frustrated and believed that her students weren’t paying attention. This was not conducive to thought-provoking interaction between the students and teacher. I felt that had she allowed more wait time, the students would have been more inclined to participate and her lesson would have been a medium for higher-order thinking.
