Effective Questioning

SCED 570, Fall 2011

Chap 7.

Questioning: an essential tool

Strategic questioning: selecting and using specific types of questions.

Researchers have created a variety of ways to categorize types of questions: Bloom’s Taxonomy Socratic Questioning Productive questions (Martens, 1999) Blosser’s Question Category System

for Science (QCSS, 1973)

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge ComprehensionApplicationAnalysisSynthesisEvaluation

Socratic Questioning conceptual clarification questions (Why are you

saying that? What exactly does this mean? )

probing assumptions (How can you verify or disprove that assumption? What would happen if ... ? )

probing rationale, reasons and evidence (What do you think causes ... ? What is the nature of this? )

questioning viewpoints and perspectives (Why it is ... necessary? Who benefits from this? )

probe implications and consequences (What are the implications of ... ? How does ... affect ... ? )

questions about the question (Why do you think I asked this question? What does that mean? )

From http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm

QCSS (Blosser, 1973)

Closed Questions Memory Convergent thinking

Open (open-ended) Questions Evaluative Divergent thinking

ManagerialRhetorical

http://www.narst.org/publications/research/question.cfm

Types of Questions

Research reveals a high frequency of basic questioning in the classroom: Rhetorical – “Are we all here?” “Read-it-and-repeat-it” Lower level thinking without further

developmentMore open-ended questions:

More thoughtful responses Stimulate discussion

Inquiry & Questioning

Questioning can lead to deeper inquiry experiences. “feedback loop”

1- Teachers ask questions to elicit levels of student understanding

2- Students respond- orally, diagram, drawings 3- Teachers recognize and acknowledge student responses. 4- Teachers provide scaffolds to improve learning and

understanding.

Inquiry & Questioning

5-E Model Table 7-1 (p. 188)

Engage- Initiate Inquiry

Explore- Guide Discussions of Observations

Explain- Guide Discussions of Explanations

Elaborate- Guide Discussions of Applications to New Situations

Questions to promote inquiry http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/~acody/inquiryquery.html

Respond to students (Table 7-2 p.195)

Accept student responses Acknowledge, reinforce, repeat Establish safe learning environment

Extend student responses Build on, compare, apply, summarize

Probe student responses Go beyond superficial responses Build on ideas, clarify, justify, verify

Final thoughts

Questions need to serve a purpose and reflect a genuine intent to promote learning.

Wait time supports processing, increases participation, positive for students.

Fade teachers’ questioning support; develop students’ metacognition

Broaden questioning repertoire Support critical thinking skills Support inquiry in the science classroom