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Effective questioning is a key aspect of the teaching and learning process, as the
Lessons that incorporate questions are more effective in raising attainment than
lessons which do not. Good questioning requires time for pupils to think and respond, and
the more learners are actively engaged in learning, the less scope there is to switch off.
Asking well structured/thought-out questions has a number of positive benefits within the
classroom including:
• Allowing teachers to assess the learning of their students both in terms of what
they bring to the lesson and what they are taking from the lesson
• Providing immediate insight into where the learning of pupils has developed
Types of Questions
• Closed questions - are useful in checking pupils’ memory and recall of facts.
Who discovered penicillin? When was the battle of Flodden? What are the
‘guess what the teacher is thinking’. Wrong responses risk humiliation in a public
arena and can create ‘performance anxiety’ which reduces the willingness of
• Open questions - have more than one answer and typically promote higher
order thinking skills. When well designed, they enrich the learning experience by
current situation. They can also enable teachers to check pupils’ knowledge and
creativity.
Question Types
Do you know what kind of questions you ask most frequently? Research on the
questions teachers ask shows that about 60 percent require only recall of facts, 20
statement;
point; and
(Source: P. E. Blosser. (1975). How to Ask the Right Questions. National Science
Teachers Association)
Following is a list of question types you can use to analyze your questioning
I. Probing Questions
Subsequent teacher questions are formed on the basis of the student's response.
Types:
Clarifying
Refocusing
Ex: "If this is true, what are the implications for . . . ?"
Prompting
John: "I don't know." Teacher: "Well, what's the square root of 100?"
John: "Ten." Teacher: "And the square root of 81?" John: "Nine."
Ex: Teacher: "What is the theme of Hemmingway's 'Old Man and the Sea'?"
Questions which require the student to recall specific information s(he) has
previously learned. Often these use who, what, when, where, etc.
Types:
Ex. "Who was the leader of the Free French forces during W.W.II?"
"Who is the main character in Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone With The Wind?"
Ex. "What are the steps a bill goes through before it becomes a law?"
"How were the American and French forces able to bottle up Cornwall and the
British at Yorktown?"
"How did Robinson Crusoe react when he discovered footprints in the sand?"
appropriate response
Ex. "What might happen if Congress passes a law preventing the manufacture and
"How would the story have been different if John had been a tall, strong boy
instead of disabled?"
"If you were stuck on a desert island and the only tool you had was a screwdriver,
"In what ways would history have been changed had the Spanish Armada
Types:
Ex: "Which of the two books do you believe contributed most to an understanding
"Assuming equal resources, who would you rate as the most skillful general, Robert
specific issues.
Ex: "We have examined the qualities these world leaders have in common. What
(Inductive)
"If the temperature of the gas remains the same, but gas is taken to an altitude of
4000 feet higher, what happens to the pressure of the gas? Why?" (Deductive)
unrelated, or contradictory.
"What similarities and differences exist between Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and
"What is the connection between Social Darwinism and the Supreme Court
Ex: "How was Gresham's Law demonstrated in the Weimer Republic of Germany?"
components parts, and relate parts to one another and the whole. This question
Ex: "Suppose you grow up with the idea that dogs were bad. Out of the
many dogs you came into contact with, none bit you when you were quite young.
How would you react towards dogs now? Would the type, size, etc., of the dog
make any difference as to how you react? Explain the notion of prejudices using
this example."
V. Affective Questions
student.
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
APPLE strategy
Ask the Question: Questions should be prepared in your lesson plan in advance.
Pause: Let the learners think about what you are asking. Give the learners 3-5
Pick: Pick on a learner by name to answer the question. Do not always pick on the
first learner that raised his hand. Remember to ask the question first and then call
Listen: Listen to the answer, make eye contact with the learner, provide effect
words* when the answer is provided. Mix your effect words, nothing sounds more
phony than an instructor that always says "very good" whenever a learner answers
a question.
Expound and explain the learner's answer. Generate a dialog based on the
learner's response. If the learner's response was incorrect, redirect the question
back to the other learners. "That's an interesting response, but not the one I was