ABSTRACT
How long did the oral interaction part of the lesson last? How many pupils read to the teacher during the day? Did the girls or the boys in the class have more contacts with the teacher? How many questions asked by the teacher obtained a correct response, and which pupils gave correct and incorrect answers? There are many questions about quantities in classroom interaction, and consequently numerous ways of attempting to quantify what happens. Some observers use rating scales, others prefer some kind of category system. There are now thousands of published systems as well as unknown numbers of home-made approaches. Rather than gratefully seizing a category system or rating scale simply because it is available, it is better for observers to ask themselves why they might want to quantify something, as well as what might be the focus of their attention.
