Probing Biology Teachers’ Characteristics Regarding the Verbal Question-Answer Process

Because science begins by asking questions and then seeking answers, asking and answering questions has always had a pivotal role in science learning and teaching. the purpose of this study is to probe biology teachers’ salient characteristics regarding the five aspects of the question-answer process (the source of questions, the taxonomy of questions, respondents of questions, teacher feedback, and authority of answers). twenty-one biology teachers from different high schools participated in this study, with the data being gathered through interviews and observations using the instrument of the question-answer process (iqap). our findings reveal the majority of participants to assumed the source of questions to be students. the frequencies for the dimensions of remembering and understanding were found to be far higher than the other query forms concerning the taxonomy of questions. biology teachers stated choosing volunteer students mainly to answer their questions; however, they tried to select non-volunteer students, thinking these students may sometimes be shy. regarding teacher feedback, biology teachers tend to tell students immediately whether their responses are correct or not when providing feedback; however, they also claim to encourage other students to incorporate new ideas. the participants indicated that the instructor/teacher and students together agree on the correct response and best solution concerning the authority of questions. this study can provide a portrait of the process of asking and answering verbal questions in biology class. making observations in more biology teachers’ classrooms is suggested for being able to interpret the results in more detail.