Effective questioning techniques. Ann Nelson

What is the purpose of questioning? To check on prior knowledge To focus thinking on key concepts and issues To interest, engage and challenge

Did you know? TES article Steven Hastings Teachers ask up to two questions every minute, 400 in a day, 70,000 in a year, about 2 million in the course of a career Questioning accounts for up to a third of all teaching time; second only to the time given to explanation Most questions are answered in less than a second; that is the average time teachers allow between posing a question and accepting an answer, throwing it to someone else, or answering it themselves.

Ask first! When you call on a pupil BEFORE asking the question, the rest of the class is much less likely to listen to the question, let alone think about an answer. Asking the question before identifying someone to respond lets pupils know they will be held accountable and should be prepared to answer every question.

Think time Allow plenty of “think time” by waiting at least 7-10 secs before expecting pupils to respond. Ask pupils not to respond until you ask for a volunteer or identify someone. Since most teachers wait only 1-3 secs before expecting a response, the increased waiting time can seem like an eternity and very uncomfortable at first. To help pupils adjust to an extended wait time, use the time to repeat and rephrase the question; also suggest that pupils may like to use the time to write down their responses.

Give everyone a chance to answer. Create a system to help you keep track of who you call on, so you can ensure that all pupils have the same opportunity to contribute. If you call on a pupil who is not ready to respond or who does not know the answer, allow the pupil to “pass” and then give him/her another opportunity later.

Never answer your own questions! Hold pupils accountable by expecting, requiring, and encouraging their participation. If the pupils know that you will give them the answers after a few seconds of silence, what is their incentive to “have a go”?

“I don’t know”. Do not accept “I don’t know” for an answer. Allow additional think time, if necessary, by moving on and then coming back to the pupil for a response later. Offer hints to guide pupils to formulating quality responses. If a pupil is unable to give a response, offer two or more options and let the student choose one.

Learning from their mistakes. Always “dignify” incorrect responses by saying something positive about pupils’ efforts; public embarrassment only confirms their worries about class participation. When pupils make mistakes, build their confidence and trust by asking follow-up questions designed to help them self-correct and achieve success. Let pupils know that it is OK to make mistakes!!

Bloom’s Six levels of thinking/questioning. Knowledge. Comprehension. Application. Analysis. Synthesis. Evaluation.

Knowledge Is simply recall. Pupils can say that they ‘know’ something if they can recall it, recite it, or write it down.

Comprehension Means that pupils can say what they ‘know’ in their own words. Retelling a story, stating the main idea, or translating from another language are ways in which pupils can show that they ‘comprehend’ or understand what they have learned.

Application Means that pupils can apply what they have learned from one context to another. For example they could apply what they have learned in Maths about how to calculate area, to working out the cost of a carpet.

Analysis Means that a pupil can understand the attributes of something so that its component parts can be studied separately and in relation to one another. Experience in analysis can be gained from asking pupils to compare/contrast, categorize, recognise inferences, opinions, or motives.

Synthesis Requires pupils to create a novel or original thought, idea, or product. Everything we call ‘creative thinking’ gives pupils experience with synthesis. If pupils can take bits from several theories or combine ideas from different sources to create an original idea, they are working at synthesis level.

Evaluation Gives pupils opportunities to make judgements about what they have analysed.

So what do we mean by ‘CHALLENGE’?

Aspects of Challenge Challenge needs to be realistic. Challenge needs to be free from anxiety. Mistakes are accepted as an important part of learning. Effective learners take risks. Challenge is a prerequisite of learning.

Aspects of Challenge Getting the level of challenge right is crucial. The more stimulating the challenge, the higher the tolerance of frustration during learning. Support should encourage independence in the learner and success depends on receiving support when needed.

Increasing the level of challenge Increase pace. Encourage pupils to be more independent. Increase high order questioning. Widen the range of sources used by pupils. Demand more precision in language. Expect pupils to justify answers. Provide open-ended problem solving tasks. Provide opportunities to apply new ideas. Encourage self and peer review.

Making challenging tasks achievable. Encourage risk taking. Use targets and goals based on prior attainment. Set high expectations. Praise success and effort. Use rewards to build ‘learning stamina’ Break tasks down into small achievable steps. Intervene early if needed. Provide lots of feedback.