Questioning
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Questioning, an accessible and low resource strategy, is central in the teaching -learning process and has always placed a large role in classrooms. (Konza, 2011). Questioning is a key aspect of teaching and learning. But we need to consciously teach students to ask good questions and not just answer them.
The purpose of Questioning:
To help gauge how effectively the students are learning.
To give students the opportunity to articulate their understanding.
To provide challenge.
To help the teacher with future planning.
To encourage the students to focus on their own learning. This self-awareness of one's own internal thought process is termed 'metacognition'.
Teacher led Questioning:
Understanding what sorts of questions to use that will develop higher cognitive processing, and how to phrase these questions are important parts of a teacher's role. (Konza 2011) Questions should draw students into the learning process as well as checking their knowledge acquisition.
Teachers can use Blank's Levels of Questioning. (See below). This is designed for young children aimed at oral language development, but the higher level order questions are appropriate for children throughout the school grades. (Konza, 2011)
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives is also a great resource for differentiating levels of questions. It was revised in 2005 by Glasson, who revised the levels in ascending order of sophistication:
1. Remember
2. Comprehend
3. Apply
4. Evaluate
5. Create
Sample questions for each level can be found at www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm (Konza, 2011)
3H (Here, Hidden, In my Head) (Graham & Wong, 1993)
The 3H strategy divides questions into three types: HERE, HIDDEN, and HEAD:• HERE questions are obvious in the text ie. literal
• HIDDEN questions can be drawn from one or more parts of the text
• In my HEAD questions require the reader to bring their own knowledge or understanding to the information given in the text.
Guideline for classroom questioning
Konza outlines a number of suggested guidelines: (Konza, 2011,p.6)
Phrase questions clearly
When teaching students basic factual material, use lower level questions to check for understanding and keep pace brisk.
With older and higher ability students, as questions both before and after material is read and studied.
Question younger and students with learning difficulties mainly after material has been read and st udied.
Ask a majority of higher cognitive questions when instructing older and higher ability students.
Keep wait-time to about three seconds when conducting discussions involving a majority of lower level questions.
Increase wait time when asking higher level questions.
Increase wait time for students with learning difficulties.
Acknowledge correct answers but ensure praise is credible and directly connected to the student's responses.
Student led Questioning - for individual or small group activities:
Questioning helps students clarify and deepen understanding of the texts they are reading.
When using the questioning strategy, readers monitor and assess their own understanding of the text by asking themselves questions. This results in higher level thinking.
Questioning involves the identification of information, themes, and ideas that are central and important enough to warrant further consideration. The central or important information, themes, or ideas are used to generate questions that are then used as self-tests for the reader.