Wait Time: Slowing Down May Be A Way of Speeding Up!

TLDR

Wait time, the pause after asking a question or after a student response, is a key focus in teaching research, yet teachers typically wait less than one second in both situations. The study reviews literature on wait time and evaluates training procedures that improve teachers’ questioning and response quality. The authors analyze existing research and discuss how wait‑time training can be applied to teachers, including its suitability for special‑needs classrooms.

Abstract

The wait time concept has become a significant dimension in the research on teaching. When teachers ask students ques tions, they typically wait less than one second for a student response. Further, after a student stops speaking, teachers react or respond with another question in less than one second. The concepts of wait time 1 (pausing after asking a question) and wait time 2 (pausing after a student response) are discussed in this article by Rowe. She reviews the literature on wait time and describes the efficacy of different training procedures used to enhance the quality of teacher questioning techniques and teacher responses to students. The appropriateness of using wait time with special needs students, particularly handicapped children, is also discussed.