An Integral Part of Facilitating Mathematical Discussions: Follow-up Questioning Woong Lim 1 & Ji-Eun Lee 2 & Kersti Tyson 3 & Hee-Jeong Kim 4 & Jihye Kim 5 Received: 22 January 2018 /Accepted: 5 March 2019/ # Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan 2019 Abstract This study explores the relationship between students’ perceptions and teachers’ discourse practices in mathematics classrooms. It reframes the sequence of Initiate- Response-Follow-up (IRF) with a renewed discourse structure that focuses on teachers’ follow-up actions including listening, thoughtful questioning, and effective talk moves. Specifically, the study analyzes how these follow-up actions were related to positive student perceptions about their teachers’ discourse practices around sustaining produc- tive discussions in mathematics classrooms. Participants were secondary mathematics teachers (n = 57) and their students (n = 875) in U.S. schools. The study first considered the students’ perceptions of their teachers’ discourse practices, identifying which teachers were perceived by students to implement mathematics discussions. Next, the study identified and examined patterns of teacher practices in discussions—the teachers’ talk moves, duration, and frequency in asking follow-up questions. Findings indicate that the teachers identified by students as promoting mathematics discussion tended to ask follow-up questions that increased and sustained students’ participation in mathematics discussions. What this finding implies is that in asking follow-up ques- tions, the teacher listened and responded to students’ ideas, and students felt heard. The study asserts that there is much potential for enhancing mathematics instruction by learning more about how teachers listen to and build on students’ responses. Keywords Mathematical discourse . Listening . Follow-up actions . Talk moves A dominant view of teaching and learning mathematics is that students’ learning of mathematics can be mediated through various communicative acts between teacher and student(s). Mathematical discourse involves both verbal and nonverbal communica- tions for co-constructing mathematical understanding. It includes, “not only ways of talking, acting, interacting, thinking, believing, reading, writing but also mathematical values, beliefs, and points of view” (Moschkovich, 2003, p. 326). These discourses are International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-019-09966-3 * Hee-Jeong Kim heejeongkim@hongik.ac.kr Extended author information available on the last page of the article