1. Questioning Techniques
USSF Referee Instructor Course
ITIP
United States Soccer Federation

2. Questioning Techniques
Lesson Set
Think about previous classes that you’ve attended.
Were questions asked by the students? And were responses given?
Did the instructor ask questions and seek responses? A coincidence?

3. Questioning Techniques
Lesson Set
Why question? It’s an tool to help students learn.
When questions are posed by the student, it’s important that you respond to these questions …. your response should have a positive effect on the group’s learning.

4. Questioning Techniques
Lesson Objective
At the end of this lesson the you will list:
The purpose of a question
Three techniques for posing specific questions to trainees.

5. Questioning Techniques
Purpose of a Question
Test (Check for understanding)
Teach (Help student to learn/retention)
Achieve Activity (Promotes active participation)
Apply Mental Pressure (Promotes higher level thinking skills)

6. Questioning Techniques
During the Lesson
Asking questions during a lesson is most effective and most needed for retention
Advantages
Participation
Clarification
Progress
Adjust
Disadvantages
Time Wasted
Interest Lost
Deviation

7. Questioning Techniques
Advantages
Prompts Active Participation which helps retention.
Clarification …. Check for understanding . A student who does not understand a point will silently dwell on it while you’re going ahead. In effect you have lost him for the balance of the lesson.
You can gage how effective your teaching is. If you ask carefully, you can determine if you are “getting across”, i.e. making Progress.
You can Adjust to emphasize key points. Allows you to make sure you get across the information you want. 7

8. Questioning Techniques
Disadvantages
Time may be lost waiting for the slow answer/reaction. A tight time schedule does not allow for too much questioning.
Focus is on one individual …. unless question is of general interest, other students may be distracted or loose concentration on the subject.
Question can sometimes take you off track of the topic … you must be careful in how and what you say. This may also upset the way you plan to develop the presentation. 8

9. Questioning Techniques
You ask
Plan carefully
Use sparingly
Control

10. Questioning Techniques
Questions can enhance or hinder learning
You Ask …. Avoid spontaneous questions …. Be prepared with pre-determined questions that anticipate problems in the lesson plan. You decide what to emphasize, reinforce, point out … based on past experiences, perceived difficulties with subject matter, knowledge level of students, etc.
Plan Carefully to emphasize. Make sure question is formulated at thinking level that you want …. Don’t just come up with haphazard questions. Decide at what point a question needs to be asked to liven up, emphasize. Ask question in easily an stated manner to the whole group.

11. Questioning Techniques
Use Sparingly ….. Overuse can detract from the learning …. Too many questions can cause learners to become defensive and create a high level of tension, which then becomes a negative learning atmosphere. It is only one technique. You limit your chances of succeeding with all students, since they each learn in a different combination of ways.
Control the questioning … questions can be used to create a certain tension level intended to keep students attentive. Make sure you keep any discussion under control so that the students are not thrown off the track.

12. Questioning Techniques
Qualities of a Good Question
Must be on the subject matter
There must be one point only
Must be clear
Only one correct answer
Familiar language to student
Use good grammar
Never suggest the answer in the question

13. Questioning Techniques
Qualities of a Good Question
Avoid questions with yes/no answers
Ask questions that are open-ended
Limit questions that rely completely on memory
Use correct terminology and vocabulary that student’s understand, taking into account any cultural differences.
Avoid questions that contain the answer, i.e. avoid answering your own questions

14. Questioning Techniques
APPLE Principle
ASK PAUSE PICK LISTEN EVALUATE
ASK … choose words carefully and be precise with what you are asking
Pause …. Ask question, then pause 5-15 seconds before calling on student
Pick …. Avoid calling on same one or two students who are always anxious to answer
Listen …. For completeness of answer
Evaluate …. Reinforce correct answers … fill in missing pieces by redirecting to class or to another student for a reaction.

15. Questioning Techniques
APPLE
Ask The Group … first pose the question
Pause …. This allows students time to think of the answer. Wait 5-15 seconds, then …
Pick …. Call on a specific student, do not accept “hands up” … avoid calling on same one or two students who are always anxious to answer.
Listen … for completeness of answer … don’t jump in too early. Evaluate … Never say just “yes” or “no” …… don’t humiliate or embarrass a student, let them down easy … “are you sure?”
Reinforce correct answers. Always tell the student when they are incorrect, then explain the correct answer.

16. Questioning Techniques
How to Pose a Question
Ask The Group
Ask “W” Questions
Ask “Suppose” Questions
Ask for Depth
Be Precise
Get Agreements
Avoid Grilling
“W” … who …. What …. When …. Why
Depth …. Follow up student response with “tell me more” …. “what makes you say that?”
Avoid answering your own questions
Avoid directing questions to a student for disciplinary reasons
Don’t use round-robin questioning
Don’t call on student to respond to question before question is asked.
Leave an occasional question unanswered at the end of a lesson

17. Questioning Techniques
Ask The Group
Many students feel apprehensive if they know an instructor is going to ask them a question. They feel relieved when they know a question is going to be posed to someone else.
The typical reaction when posed to someone else is to stop thinking about the answer, relying on that other student to supply the correct information.
Don’t use round-robin questioning

18. Questioning Techniques
Ask The Group
One of your objectives should be to get every student thinking about the answer to the question.
Don’t call on student to respond to question prior to the question being asked.
Avoid directing question to a student for disciplinary reasons.
Avoid answering your own questions

19. Questioning Techniques
Ask “W” Questions
Posing questions with words:
WHO WHAT WHERE WHY WHEN
These are the key words that will improve your questions and help you to secure facts, information and a specific response.

20. Questioning Techniques
Ask “Suppose” Questions
These questions help to amplify and reinforce a point.
They can be used to bring up a new or added point.
They’re also useful when you need to break a deadlock.

21. Questioning Techniques
Ask For Depth
Asking the student for examples, explanations, references, reasoning behind thinking will reinforce the student’s learning.
Follow up a student response with “Tell me more” … “ What makes you say that?”

22. Questioning Techniques
Be Precise
Make sure question is understood.
You need to frame the question carefully
If there are several key factors in the question, it helps to write it out for the students to “see” as well as “hear”.

23. Questioning Techniques
Get Agreements
One way is to offer several solutions in the form of a question to the group.
Another way is to confirm an answer by asking others, in turn, whether or not they agree.
Always acknowledge the right answer and reinforce correct responses.

24. Questioning Techniques
Avoid Grilling
Ask questions in a positive manner, it helps the student to think, to reinforce, to improve attention and retention.
Be helpful …. be positive even with a wrong answer or no answer … suggest answer yourself, hint or prompt student.
Avoid embarrassing student by continued questioning. Switch to another student.
Berating one student also negatively affects other students.

25. Questioning Techniques Is like teaching a pig to sing:
GRILLING
Is like teaching a pig to sing:
It frustrates you
and
it annoys the pig!

26. Questioning Techniques
A Good Question Is
Fully Understood by the Class
Contains No Ambiguity
Stimulates Thought
Discourages Guessing
It is important to use correct terms and language.
Poorly formed questions and incorrect terminology can often do more harm than good.

27. Good Questioning Technique Encourages
Questioning Techniques
Good Questioning Technique Encourages
Class Participation
Keeps Class Alert
Promotes Retention
Questioning can create a certain level of tension …. but the right question can relieve tension as well.

28. Questioning Techniques
Lesson Assignment
Write out the following and bring to the in-class clinic sessions:
An explanation of the purpose of a question.
The (3) techniques for posing specific questions to students and an example for each.
The (4) qualities of a good question with an example of each.

29. Questioning Techniques
USSF Referee Instructor Course
ITIP
United States Soccer Federation