Abstract
This paper discusses science teachers' responses to students' incorrect answers during classroom discussion. Twelve science teachers were selected through purposeful sampling in 10 junior high schools in two districts in Ghana in 2009, and their science lessons were videotaped. The science teachers and 34 selected students were later interviewed. The analysis of the video and interview involved data immersing, initial coding, creating categories, and identifying themes. Encourage, reject, ignore, discomfort, use, and probe of answers to judge and find out the reasons behind them came out as teacher responses to students' incorrect answers. Generally, the science teachers either ignored (40.2%) or rejected (26.2%) students' incorrect answers. They also encouraged (25.2%) students, and engaged in actions such as using (2.8%), finding out (1.9%) and judging (3.7%) students' incorrect answers. It is recommended that science teachers would engage in actions that encourage students and desist from making students feel shy and timid in Ghanaian classroom atmosphere. Science teachers need to: use incorrect answers to develop their lessons; create an environment in which every student feels accepted and important during discussion sessions; and factor students' feelings and be sympathetic toward students' incorrect answers in class.
