The Art of Questioning

The Art of Questioning

The art of questioning students is the foundation of all good teaching practice. It provides for both assessment and student growth (learning) and is the core of the scientific method and how we learn.

The Art of Questioning

It has remained one of the best tools in promoting effective learning.

The Art of Questioning

There are even some people who believe that the effectiveness of a teacher can be measured by his ability to ask good questions.

The Art of Questioning

And yet far too many teachers take this teaching tool for granted, or use it carelessly.

The Art of Questioning

Teachers spend comparably little time, learning how to ask questions or make questions which lead to good teaching.

The Art of Questioning

Researches show that teachers have been asking the wrong questions. They have been focusing primarily on questions regarding the specific information students possessed rather than questions to promote learning.

The Art of Questioning

Skillful questioning involves knowledge of the various uses of the question, the characteristics of a good question, the techniques of questioning, and the techniques of handling the learners' responses.

The Art of Questioning

It often takes many years of classroom experience, professional reading, and self-evaluation for a teacher to be a proficient questioner.

The Art of Questioning

All the while, the teacher must make a constant and persistent effort to improve his questioning ability and technique.

The Art of Questioning

Hence, teachers should plan their questions carefully. If a teacher utilizes questions effectively, students will discover that the question is a very valuable learning tool.

WARM UP

Developing the art of questioning can be as simple as practicing. It is with practice that we gain competence and pattern the process. Lets choose one type of question, raise a question and then give two follow up questions.

Towards the end of learning the art of questioning, the following techniques are suggested.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

*Establish an appropriate environment. Only certain questions should be posed in front of students; bedside (beginning) questions should focus principally on knowledge and recall and to a lesser extent on comprehension.

Consider this! 9. Staff Development

Appetizer questions!

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

*Questions should be asked in a natural and well-modulated voice. They should not be asked hurriedly nor in a manner that is likely to create nervous tension in the learner and thereby block the learner's thinking.

Try this! 9. Staff Development

What makes you happy?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

*Create a climate conducive to learning. A happy facial expression, nod, or verbal acknowledgement of a correct response encourages other students to participate Pose questions in a non-threatening way and receive answers in a supportive fashion. A harsh tone, can be devastating

Try this! 9. Staff Development

Do you believe in another life after death?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

* Prepare the students for the questioning session and discussion. Explain to students the format, expectations, and how this knowledge will help them.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

A teacher should ask the question first, and then wait for the class to think about it before calling on anybody to answer the question. * It will keep the entire class alert. If learners are apprised beforehand as to who should answer the question, inattention will result.

*Use sufficient wait time.

Try this! 9. Staff Development

What do you like about yourself?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

A sufficient number of questions should be asked to stimulate learners to activity. *Too many questions discouraged. They require a minimum of thought and the giving of very short or one-word answers. Lead to too much teacher activity and not enough on the part of the learners.

Like this.. 9. Staff Development

Question type: Recalling Examples: Who, what, when, where, how _______?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

*Avoid trick questions and those that require only a YES or NO response. YES or NO questions encourage students to respond without fully understanding or thinking through the issue. When used, such questions should be followed by other questions to determine the thinking process of the student.

Questions like these 9. Staff Development

Do you like fashion? Do stars die? Is superman alive?... And many

more

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

A teacher should refrain from repeating questions. Attention is challenged when questions are not repeated. *May it be repeated? When? *This technique also applies to repeating answers. It wastes time and encourages inattention.

Try this! 9. Staff Development

What do you want to change in other people?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

Phrase the questions carefully, concisely, and clearly. Improper phrasing and the use of multiple questions related to the same topic may result in unintentional cueing (guessing) and inability to accurately assess student understanding.

Rephrase this! 9. Staff Development

What do you want to change about yourself?

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

Questions should be evenly distributed so that the majority of the pupils can take part in the discussion. Difficult questions should be asked of those who are deemed to be bright. A teacher should encourage all learners to share in the group thinking at all times.

Tip! 9. Staff Development

Use various question types..

Simple recall, identifying errors, compare and contrast.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

Address questions to the group, versus the individual. Pose the question to the entire group and wait before identifying a student to respond. *wait time *Select students at random to answer questions, -it keeps everyone attentive and involved.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

Use the overhead technique: 1)question 2)pause 3)name.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

A teacher should avoid resorting to any mechanical system of fielding questions to the class *results to inattention.

Example 9. Staff Development

Calling students in alphabetical order, or row by row

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

Select both volunteers and non-volunteers to answer questions.

The following questioning techniques are suggested:

A teacher should ask questions that are really interesting and thoughtprovoking. Leading questions, questions which give away answers, *one-word answer questions, and the like may result to boredom on the part of the learners.

Example 9. Staff Development

What do think these people are? Or Why. How.

Another example 9. Staff Development

A) What are they playing? B) They are playing soccer. Who is playing? C) I think France is playing Brazil. Why are they playing? A) Maybe its the World Cup?

As important as the skillful asking of questions is the manner in which the teacher handles the answers of the learners.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

1) A teacher should make every effort to show an appreciative attitude toward learner answers. The learners should be made to feel free to do their best. When the learner does not should make every the teacher can A teacher answer correctly, effort to show an further questions toward learner ask appreciative attitudeto help the learner answers. discover for himself why his original answer was wrong. The teacher should refrain from giving sarcastic comments to wrong answers.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

2) A teacher should never allow incorrect answers to slip by; otherwise the learners will adopt wrong facts and concepts. Any portion of an answer A teachercorrect should be recognized, that is should make every effort to show an appreciative attitude toward learner is but any part of an answer that answers. incorrect should be corrected. This can be done by the teacher pointing out the error himself or by throwing the question to the class for discussion.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

3) Correct answers of learners should be followed with encouraging effort to show by A teacher should make every remarks an the appreciative attitude toward learner teacher. Commendation answers. should be judged by the nature of the response.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

4) Clarity in every point expressed by the learners should be insisted upon by show A teacher should make every effort to the an appreciative attitude toward learner teacher. answers. If a learner fails to make a point clear, the teacher can ask him to elaborate.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

5) Answering in concert should be discouraged. Allowing the whole class to shout the answers A teacher should make every effort to show aloud will result toward learner an appreciative attitude in classroom answers. chaos. It will also give the lazy or inattentive learner the chance to go unnoticed.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

6) A teacher should encourage learners to answer in a loud and clear voice. A learner's response should be A teacher should make every effort to This is heard by the entire class. show anespecially attitude toward learner appreciative important when the answers. learner's answer will be thrown to the class for the other learners to comment on.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

7) Learners should be encouraged to answer in complete thought units and grammatically correct statements. Every teacher should be A teacher should make every effort to show concerned with the development of an appreciative attitude toward learner answers. correct expression, whatever subject he teaches. He should insist upon correct forms of expression in order that they may become habitual to the learners.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

8) A teacher should refrain from marking the learners in his record book during the class recitation. Such a procedure is probably the worst way to handle a A teacher should make every effort to show learner's response. towardwill reduce the an appreciative attitude This learner recitation toanswers. of the old-style the level recitation which creates nervous tension among learners and may paralyze critical thinking and hamper spontaneity.

The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to The following techniques are suggested for the teacher to observe in handling learner responses to his questions: observe in handling learner responses to his questions:

8) A teacher should refrain from marking the learners in his record book during the class recitation. Such a procedure is probably the worst way to handle a A teacher should make every effort to show learner's response. towardwill reduce the an appreciative attitude This learner recitation toanswers. of the old-style the level recitation which creates nervous tension among learners and may paralyze critical thinking and hamper spontaneity.

The Art of Questioning

Indeed, questioning is the heart and soul of training the most widely used instructional strategy to facilitate learning.

The Art of Questioning

Teachers must, therefore, learn to perfect the art of questioning.

The Art of Questioning

ASK A MAN A QUESTION AND HE INQUIRES FOR A DAY; TEACH A MAN TO QUESTION AND HE INQUIRES FOR LIFE.