STUDENTS’ QUESTIONS IN ONLINE CLASSROOM INTERACTION

This study deals with the learners’ issues in online classroom interaction. This
research was aimed at clarifying the types of questions students ask when
interacting in the classroom. This research was conducted at SMA Negeri 3
Pematangsiantar. The research method was descriptive with a qualitative approach.
The data of this research were from students to be analyzed based on the theory of
Long and Sato (1983). This research was carried out by observing, taking recording
of teaching and learning process and interviewing. The observation was conducted
in twelfth grade students of MIPA 7 in two weeks of used two types of questions in
teaching and learning process. The result of this study showed that students used
two types of questions: the referential question and the display question. It can be
found that important contributions in English classroom interaction that question
could support the collaboration between teacher and students in classroom
interaction. The main focus for students to enhance their curiosity in learning
process mostly built by referential question. In this finding there are four factors
influencing students' questioning personal factors, social factors, material, and
image of the teacher factors. In this finding researcher found that the students were
active in asking questions and they were not afraid to raise the question, but the
personal factors of the students could be the reason that they tend to avoid asking
questions in the class. As conclusion, these issues are very important to support
online classroom interaction and create good teacher-student collaboration.
Therefore, teachers need to create a good atmosphere in the online classroom so
that students have the opportunity to ask questions in a classroom and minimize the
obstacles to those questions.