MEDIATIVE QUESTION

• Mediative questions encourage the respondent to dig deep into their thinking in a psychologically safe manner.• They are formulated to engage and transform the

thinking of a person• Mediative questions support metacognition and,

according to neurologist Reuven Feurstein, mediated learning actually “changes the structure of the brain in very meaningful ways”.

Mediative questions have few characteristics that make them powerful:

1)      They are invitational;2)      They engage specific cognitive operations;3)      They are intentional.

 InvitationalUse an approachable voice

Contains plural forms“What are reasons for …..?”“What strategies are you….?”

Includes tentative/exploratory language“What might be your thoughts

about…..?”“What are some of the possibilities…..?”“What are your hunches about……?

Open endedBegin your question

with an interrogative, not verb.What is your thinking about….?”            vs.           “Have you thought about….?”

Engage specific cognitive operations

• Input – recall, define, describe, identify, name, list• Process – compare, infer, analyse, sequence,

synthesize, summarize• Output – predict, evaluate, speculate, imagine,

envision, hypothesize

Intentional

Two of the intentions a question might have are to:• Explore thinking• Specify Thinking