The Art of Questioning“ Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than giving of right answers.”-Josef Albers (1888-1976)

Question- any sentence which has an interrogative form or function

* In the classroom: Questions are considered as instructional cues or

stimuli that convey to the students the content elements to be learned and directions for what they are to do and how to do it. It should also play a central role in the learning process.

* Good questioning is an excellent aid to teaching that is hardly utilized to the fullest extent.

* Good questioning challenges the higher order reasoning/ thinking skills of the students.

* Good questioning is a determinant of teaching and learning outcomes.

* The quality of the teachers’ questions affects the quality of thinking in the classroom.

Low Order Questions High Order Questions

the most common questions that teachers use require simple recall do not give much challenge to students’ thinking and reasoning skills usually are close-ended questions and questions that require specific answer

stimulated through the use of open-ended questions require higher order reasoning engage students in a dynamic thinking and learning

Purposes of Questioning

Why do teachers ask questions? to interest, engage and challenge the learners; to check on prior knowledge; to stimulate recall and use of existing knowledge and experience in order to create new understanding and meaning;

Why do teachers ask questions? to focus thinking on key concepts and issues; to extend learners’ thinking from the concrete and factual to the analytical and evaluative; to lead learners through a planned sequence which progressively establishes key understandings;

Why do teachers ask questions? to promote reasoning, problem solving, evaluation and the formulation of hypotheses; to promote learners’ thinking about the way they have learned; to develop critical thinking skills and inquiring attitudes and reinforce student understanding;

Why do teachers ask questions? to provide feedback and enliven classroom discussion; to nurture insights by exposing new relationships; to assess achievement of instructional goals and objectives; and to stimulate students to pursue knowledge on their own

The purposes of asking good questions are generally pursued in the context of classroom recitation, defined as a series of teacher questions, each drawing out a student response and sometimes a teacher reaction to that response.

Cognitive acts when students are confronted with a question:

*Attending to the question*Deciphering the meaning of the question

*Generating covert response*Generating overt response

*Revising the response

Principles of Questioning

Principles of Questioning:1. Distribute questions so that all, including non-volunteers, are involved.2. Balance factual and though-provoking questions.3. Ask both simple and challenging questions so that the poorer students may participate and the brighter students may be extended.

Principles of Questioning:4. Encourage lengthy responses and sustained answers. *Avoid yes-no questions, questions overlaid with afterthoughts, fragmentary questions, and questions that tug or encourage guessing.If you catch yourself asking a yes-no question, add “Explain.”

Principles of Questioning:5. Stimulate critical thinking by asking:“To what extent?”, “How?”, “Under what circumstance?”,“Why?”,“Compare (or contrast)…”a. Avoid “Does anyone know…?” and “Who can tell us…?”

Principles of Questioning:b. Allow time for thought. Wait until five to six students want to speak.c. Be a model of exact phrasing and coherent thinking.1) Phrase questions clearly, within the vocabulary limits of the class.

2) Make each question specific, short and proactive.

Principles of Questioning:d. Encourage students to comment on the answers of classmates.1) Start the crossfire by asking “What’s your opinion of that answer…?”2) Follow up promising leads, building on contributions.3) Tactfully curb aggressive students. No student or teacher domination will prevail.

Principles of Questioning:4) Don’t drop too quickly a student who seems unable to answer. If a student is confused, inquire “How can we help out?”e. Never interrupt a student who is attempting to answer, nor tolerate ridicule of an honest effort.

Principles of Questioning:6. Use the overhead technique:Question--Pause--Name7. Ensure audibility, then refuse to repeat the questions or answers. (But in large classes, always repeat questions and answers!)8. If a student ask a question, don’t answer it until you’ve asked the class, “How would you answer that question?”

Principles of Questioning:9. Personalized questions:“Pretend you are…what would you do?”10. Suggest partnership by inquiring“How can we…?”

NOTE: One important rule to observe in framing questions is that questions are designed for grading should reflect the same kind of thinking used in instruction.

Levels of Questioning

Bloom’s Taxonomy- Cognitive Domain

KnowledgeComprehensionApplicationAnalysisEvaluationSynthesis

1. Knowledge: requires that the students recognize or recall information

Examples: What is the main idea in…? What are the characteristics of…? How is … related to…?When was CJ Corona impeached?

definememorize

whatwhen

recordlist

distinguishidentify

namerelatewhich

indicatewriteselectwhere

acquire

Words to Use

2. Comprehension: requires the students to think on low level such that the knowledge can be reproduced or communicated without a verbatim repetition.

Examples: What does singing the blues imply? Which term does not belong in this

sentence? A lion is to pride, as ___ is to flock?Explain why Paul is a developing character in the story.

restatediscuss

describerelate

recognizeexplainexpress

illustrate

identifylocatereport

extrapolatereview

tellinfer

rephrase

Words to Use

3. Application: requires the students to solve or explain a problem by applying what he or she has learned to other situations and learning tasks.

Examples: Looking at the map, state the possible

locations for the cultivation of wheat. Choose from the array of watercolors

and paint a picture of a rock. How would you get in contact with

the person who was supposed to meet you.

applydemonstrate

illustratesketch

translateinterpretemploy

play

usedramatize

practicepaint

operateschedule

shopmold

Words to Use

4. Analysis: requires the students to solve a problem through a systematic examination of facts or information.

Examples: Study the pictures.* What features of the land allow

cultivation?* Which vehicles would most likely to

be used to travel?

analyzecompare

distinguishcategorize

differentiateappraisecalculate

discriminate

testcriticizediagram

inventoryquestion

relateclasifyassume

Words to Use

5. Evaluation: requires the students to make an assessment of good or not so good according to some standards.

Examples: Indicate in what ways this is a

beautiful poem. According to the stated situation,

which is the most appropriate move the man could take?

judgeappraiseevaluatemeasure

revisevalue

defendindicate

assessscoreselect

chooseestimate

ratecheck the

decide

Words to Use

6. Synthesis: requires the students to find a solution to a problem through the use of original, creative thinking.

Examples: Design a sand table so that you can

study different kinds of erosion. Offer two proposals to solving

the crowding in our school halls at lunch.

createhypothesize

inventdesign

composeplan

developpropose

formulatearrange

assemblecollect

constructsuggestmake up

think of a way

Words to Use

NOTE: Low Level Thinking Skills (LOTS) are those in the knowledge and comprehension level. High Level Thinking Skills (HOTS) are those that go beyond the comprehension level.

Types of Question

Types of Question Factual Questions

-used to get information from the students and often test rote memoryExample:“What is the most common reason for vehicular accidents?”

Types of Question Clarification Questions

- intend to provide clarity to both students and teachers- have important clueing effects and help students to revisit their earlier statements with alternative perspectivesExample:“What do you mean by…?”“Can you give me an example?”“Can you rephrase what you have said?”

Types of Question Broadening or Extension Questions

-enlarge the existing theme, explore implications of the response and can be useful in opening up further possibilities-can be used to assess additional knowledge of the studentsExample:“Do you know of any other chromosomal abnormality in Down syndrome?”

Types of Question Justifying Questions

-probe for assumptions and explore reasons for particular answers-require significant comprehensions and reasoning skills on the part of the studentsExample:“You mentioned that CJ Corona lied in his SALN. What are your reasons for such statement?”

Types of Question Hypothetical Questions

-used to explore students’ understanding of complex situations beyond the scope of a particular encounter by creating hypothetical scenarios-often come in handy during the latter part of teacher-student interactions when the basic facts and concepts are already established

Types of Question Hypothetical Questions

Example:“Suppose Jeny has a ventricular septum defect and is taking diuretics to control her symptoms, how would you revise and rearrange the differential diagnosis of Jeny’s respiratory distress?”

Types of QuestionQuestions about Questions

-probe for reasons for the question that students ask the teachers-allow the students to verbalize their reasoning and understanding of the events leading to their own questionsExample:“Why did you ask that particular question? What are you thinking of?”

Types of QuestionRedirected Questions

-address the same questions to several students and distribute responsibility-generate a wide variety of response and allow the students to evaluate each other’s contributions-shift the focus from teacher-student interaction to student-student interactions

Questioning Strategies and

Techniques

According to Caram and Davis (2005)Create a classroom culture open to dialogue.Use both preplanned and emerging questions.

Select an appropriate level of questioning based on the students’ needs.Avoid tricky questions that require only a Yes or No answer.

Phrase questions carefully, concisely and clearly.

According to Caram and Davis (2005)According to Caram and Davis (2005)Address questions to the group or to individuals, randomly.

Use sufficient wait time.Respond to answers given by students.Deliberate frame questions to promote student interest.

Use questions to identify learning objectives for follow-up self-study.

Critiquing Questioning Techniques

Procedure:1. To assess the types of questions asked, a video or audio-tape recording of a class needs to be made.2. As soon as possible after the class is over, watch and/or listen to the recording and choose a ten-minute segment for analysis.3. Write down in its entirely each question that you ask during this ten-minute segment.

Procedure:4. As you go over these questions, consider the following:a. What effects might your phrasing have had on the students’ thinking about question?b. How could you improve the wording/s of these questions?

Procedure:5. Focus your attention on the amount and complexity of thinking required for your students to respond (silently or aloud) to each question.6. Classify your questions using the Bloom’s Taxonomy categories.

Procedure:7. Do this type of analysis periodically throughout the year to assess your progress:a. Into which category do most of your questions fall?b. How do your students respond to your question?c. What were your goals for this class or lesson?d. Is there an alternative pattern of questioning you can think of which would better facilitate the achievement of the goals stated

Educational Implications:This approach will help the students learn how to listen. It will provide feedback on how successful the lesson was in stimulating their thought processes. The students will reflect on their learning through higher-level thinking processes such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, or summation. Students are more likely to remember what they have learned when they explore the implications of their learning.

Activity:Mechanics:Select a particular topic or issue and write down at least 6 questions that could be formulated out from the chosen topic. See to it that the questions are relevant to the needs and interest of the students.Criteria:Content 3pointsClarity of the question 1 pointsRelevance to students’ needs 1 points5 points each

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