Questioning

Teacher questioning and student response are common classroom learning activities. Research finds that teacher questions (and cues) are effective when they focus on what is important, require students to respond at higher levels, provide adequate wait time after a question is asked and establish an engaging introduction for the lesson. Effective questioning can also play a role in focusing students on unit learning goals or overarching themes throughout a longer period of study. Learners do best when they are given adequate opportunities to engage with and respond to questions. As a teacher, you can use questions effectively in the classroom to:

• review learning
• challenge learner thinking
• stimulate interest and motivate learners to become actively involved in the lesson
• cultivate critical thinking skills
• encourage learners to ask their own questions.
  

Question types Depending on the content and aims of the lesson, it is likely that you will use different types of question. Three types of question are explained and exemplified below. TIP: You should consider the wording of questions in advance to ensure that they are accessible to all learners. 1. Discussion questions These facilitate debate and allow teachers to dig deeper into learner reasoning (in some situations, their imagination) by asking probing questions. Example: Why do you think that? Activity: could be used in pair, small group or whole-class discussion. Discussion questions do not need to have a ‘correct answer’ as their value is in helping learners to think through, share and discuss their own response. 2. Diagnostic questions These give you a quick insight into whether what you have taught has been learned. Responses may identify parts of the curriculum that warrant re-teaching to clarify misconceptions and fill gaps. They can identify specific gaps in learner understanding while learning is still taking place. Example: True or false? Activity: could be a lesson starter (using mini-whiteboards or sticky notes) or part of a quiz or other form of assessment. All diagnostic questions must have a clear purpose; you must use the information gathered to help inform your next steps. See below for suggestions on how to use diagnostic results in feedback. 3. Hinge-point questions The ‘hinge’ is the point where you move from one key idea/activity/point on to another. Hinge-point questions are a specific type of diagnostic question that are most useful after a period of learning to help you decide whether to continue, recap or re-teach. It is usually the case that understanding the content that occurs before the hinge is a prerequisite for the next chunk of learning. This is important because moving on is dangerous if key concepts are not fully understood, yet if you get this wrong and re-teach pointlessly then engagement will slip and time will be wasted. Example: What did we learn today? Why does it matter? Activity: list of ideas (timed), either individually or in a pair. These could be written on poster paper or shared orally. For hinge-point questions to be useful, you have to be able to elicit the information from learners immediately and be able to understand and act on it quickly. Dylan Wiliam suggests that learners should respond within one minute and teachers should be able to view and interpret responses within 15 seconds. Hinge-point questions seek a response in the form of a snapshot, not an essay.

Facilitate responses For effective questioning, teachers should bear the following points in mind: Use wait time effectively. Give students time to think and formulate responses. Waiting 5-10 seconds will increase the number of students who volunteer to answer and will lead to longer, more complex answers. If students do not volunteer after 10 seconds have passed, rephrase the question. Refrain from answering your own question, which will only communicate to students that if they do not answer, you will do their thinking for them. Wait for students to finish an idea before interjecting. You may find yourself wanting to interrupt because you think you know what the student is going to say, or simply because you are passionate about the material. Resist this temptation. Hearing the students’ full responses will allow you to give them credit for their ideas and to determine when they have not yet understood the material. Show interest in all answers. Encourage students when they are offering answers by nodding, looking at them, and using facial expressions that show you are listening. Do not look down at your notes while they are speaking. Thank students who respond to your questions and engage in discussions to communicate your appreciation for their involvement with creating a dialogue in your course. Redirect and guide wrong answers towards a correct one. For example, note that the student’s answer overlooks the most important conclusion of the study you are discussing, then ask that same student to try to recall what that conclusion is. If he or she does not recall the conclusion, open this question up to the class. Develop responses that will keep students thinking. Resist the temptation to simply respond with praise or censure. Allow other students to provide a critique if it is warranted, and continue to ask probing/guiding questions. For example, ask the rest of the class to respond to an idea that one student has just presented, or ask the student who answered to explain the thinking that led to their answer. (Adapted from: https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/asking-questions-to-improve-learning/)

Promote students' questions Teachers should also encourage students to ask questions and answer each other’s questions. Creating a classroom where students are empowered to generate authentic questions is an important strategy for teaching and learning. What are the benefits of students’ formulating questions and sparking discussion themselves? Students display a deeper understanding of the learning content and learning objectives. It arouses student interest and participation, and thus inspires future learning. It promotes learner autonomy; students become more active and independent in their learning Useful techniques to promote students’ questions If some learners are not confident enough to put their hand up and ask a question, you could try using the following techniques: Question wall: Choose an area where questions and answers can be posted. This could be a poster to write on or sticky notes to stick on the wall. Learners add their questions and also add answers to others’ questions. At appropriate times in your teaching sequence, review the questions with the whole class. Question box: Have a box in which learners can post their questions. Review questions in the box regularly and use them to direct your planning. Question starters: One way to help learners to ask open questions is to regularly model open question starters. These encourage learners to give more detailed answers and to justify their reasoning. Examples include: - Why …? - How do we know that ...? - What if ...? - How does this compare to ...? - How would you ...? - How did ...? - Explain why ...? - What might it mean if ...? - What might happen if ...? - How could you tell if ... is true? Celebrate every question. When students ask questions, celebrate them! I like to make a big deal out of good questions by stopping class and having the student repeat the question to the group. Then we have a class discussion about it. We write their questions on index cards and post them on the “I Wonder” wall. My students take pride in having their question added to the wall. (Adapted from: Cambridge Teacher Guide and https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-encourage-students-ask-questions)