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Practicing
Effective Questioning
There are many ways to ask a question
and some ways are better than others. Thinking about the types of questions
that could be asked or even preparing specific questions prior to teaching
a lesson will often lead to more effective classroom discussions. It
is important to think of thoughtful questions that encourage students
to think critically about the concept being learned. In order to be
successful at effectively questioning students, teachers must be aware
of the type of questions they are directing to the students and use
effective questioning practices.
Suggestions for Effective Questioning
Below is a list different types
of questions. The questions are listed in order of their recommended
usage. The types of questions at or near the top should be used with
more frequency than those at or near the bottom.
- Ask students to seek out the evidence:
- What kind of evidence did you find?
- What makes you think that...?
- Ask students to explain:
- How would you explain this?
- What were some of the causes that led to...?
- Ask questions that relate concepts, ideas, and opinions:
- How does that compare to...?
- What did other people discover or say about ...?
- Ask questions that encourage your students to predict:
- What will you do next?
- What will happen if you...?
- What could you do to prevent that ?
- Ask students questions that encourage them
to describe:
- What did you do?
- What happened?
- What did you observe happening?
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Maximize...
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Minimize...
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- ...asking questions that begin with words like "What
if," "Explain," "Analyze," "Create,"
and "Compare and contrast," etc.
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- ...asking questions that have a "yes" or "no"
response and questions that require merely direct recall of
definitions etc.
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- ...the amount of time you wait after you pose a question,
i.e. wait-time, in order to allow students to process the question
in their minds.
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- ...calling on students directly after you pose a question
and calling on a student before you even ask the question.
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- ...asking students to elaborate on their answers and asking
students "why."
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- ...telling a student their answer is wrong and not asking
them to think of why it is wrong.
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- ...opportunities for students to pose questions amongst themselves.
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- ...straight lecture without student interaction.
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- ...providing opportunities that challenge students' original
conceptual understandings.
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- ...providing opportunities that do not encourage creative
and critical thinking.
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- ...encouraging students to work through their decision making
process, even if it bring frustration and makes them leave their
comfort zone of learning.
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- ...giving students direct answers to their questions without
allowing them to think through the decision making process.
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Learning is an active process. Teachers must work hard
at encouraging students to think on their own and construct their own
explanations. This will allow students to maximize their learning potential.
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