The role of questions in the physics laboratory classes of two non-native speaking teaching assistants
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The Department of English seeks to provide all university students with the skills of effective communication and critical thinking, as well as imparting knowledge of literature, creative writing, linguistics, speech and technical communication to students within and outside of the department.
History
The Department of English and Speech was formed in 1939 from the merger of the Department of English and the Department of Public Speaking. In 1971 its name changed to the Department of English.
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1939-present
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- Department of English and Speech (1939-1971)
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- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (parent college)
- Department of English (predecessor, 1898-1939)
- Department of Public Speaking (predecessor, 1898-1939)
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Abstract
Questions play an important role in science laboratory classes. This conclusion was reached following several observations of science and engineering labs at Iowa State University. Almost all interactions involved questions, and some dialogs seemed to contain even more questions than statements. The students and teaching assistants asked each other an impressive number of questions in various forms and for various reasons.
This case study of two introductory physics labs is an outgrowth of observations made for the Graduate College at ISU. It focuses on the questions asked by the international teaching assistants (IT As) in charge of the labs as well as those asked by their students. Some situations and student attitudes that ITAs might encounter in the laboratory classroom will also be touched upon.