Learn Hardcore Turkish: Öğrenciler şaşkın bir şekilde soruya baktıysa da öğretmen sakin kaldı. - Even if the students looked at the question in surprise, the teacher stayed calm.

bak- = to look
-tı = past tense (3rd person)
-ysa = conditional/concessive marker (with buffer -y-)
da = enclitic that, together with -sa, yields “although/even if” So baktıysa da ≈ “although (they) looked.”

Why is it baktıysa and not baksa?

baksa da = “even if (they) looked/were to look” (hypothetical).
baktıysa da = “although (they) looked” (a real, past event). Adding past -dı makes it factual rather than hypothetical.

Should there be a comma after the concessive clause?

Optional. Many writers put a comma after a fronted —sa da clause for readability:

Öğrenciler … baktıysa da, öğretmen sakin kaldı. Leaving it out is also acceptable, especially when the clause is short.

Why is it soruya and not soruyu or soruda?

Because bakmak “to look (at)” governs the dative case.

soruya = to the question (dative, required by bakmak)
soruyu = the question as a direct object (would go with verbs like görmek/incelemek)
soruda = in/on the question (locative, different meaning) Note the buffer consonant -y- in soru-ya because the noun ends in a vowel.

The subject is plural (Öğrenciler). Shouldn’t the verb also be plural, like baktılarsa da?

Turkish often uses 3rd person singular in subordinate clauses (including —sa da) even with plural subjects: Öğrenciler … baktıysa da is natural. If you want plural agreement, both are heard:

Öğrenciler … baktıysalar da …
Öğrenciler … baktılarsa da … The plural version can highlight the plurality, but the singular is very common.

What does şaşkın bir şekilde literally mean, and are there shorter alternatives?

Literally “in a bewildered way/manner.” Common alternatives:

şaşkınca (compact; “bewilderedly,” sometimes with an “-ish” tone)
şaşkınlıkla (“with astonishment,” slightly formal)
şaşkın bir halde (“in a bewildered state”) All are acceptable; X bir şekilde is a very common adverbial template.

What is the function of the -y- in baktıysa?

It’s a buffer consonant to prevent two vowels from crashing together: baktı + sa → baktıysa.

Why is da separate here, and why is it da and not de/ta/te?

This da/de is the enclitic (meaning “too/and,” and in —sa da forming “although/even if”), so it’s written as a separate word: baktıysa da (not “baktıysada”). It follows vowel harmony for a/e (here it’s back vowel → da) and never turns into ta/te. Don’t confuse it with the locative case suffix -da/-de, which is attached to a noun and can become -ta/-te after voiceless consonants.

Can I move parts of the sentence around?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible. For example:

Öğrenciler soruya şaşkın bir şekilde baktıysa da öğretmen sakin kaldı.
Şaşkın bir şekilde öğrenciler soruya baktıysa da öğretmen sakin kaldı. The meaning stays; the shifts affect emphasis/rhythm.

Could I say öğretmen sakindi instead of öğretmen sakin kaldı?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

sakin kaldı = “remained/stayed calm,” emphasizing keeping calm despite a trigger.
sakindi = “was calm,” a plain description without the “despite” flavor.

Does Öğrenciler mean “the students” or “students (in general)”? How would I say “some students”?

Turkish has no articles; context decides. Here, Öğrenciler is “the students.” For “some students,” say bazı öğrenciler. For a generic statement about students, öğrenciler can also be used (context clarifies).

Are there other ways to say “although” here?

Common alternatives:

… baktıkları halde …
… bakmalarına rağmen …
Her ne kadar … baksalar da …
… bakmış olsalar bile … All convey concession; choose based on tone and formality.

Is the word bir in şaşkın bir şekilde necessary?

It’s part of the set phrase-like template X bir şekilde and sounds natural. Şaşkın şekilde is understandable but less idiomatic; learners usually keep bir there.

Can you give a quick morphological breakdown of the key bits?

Öğrenci-ler = student + plural
şaşkın bir şekil-de = bewildered + a way + locative → “in a bewildered way”
soru-ya = question + dative (“to the question”)
bak-tı-ysa da = look + past + (if/though) + enclitic da → “although (they) looked”
öğretmen = teacher
sakin kal-dı = calm + remain (past) → “remained calm”