Reassessing Questioning in the Classroom: Fresh Perspectives

by Terry Heick

If education's primary aim is for students to effectively respond to inquiries, emphasizing content and response techniques seems logical. However, if we shift the focus on fostering critical thinking, we might see a greater benefit in encouraging students to formulate their own questions.

Prioritizing Questions Over Answers

The skill to pose timely and relevant questions often signifies genuine comprehension. Crafting a question that cuts through superficial understanding indicates the critical thinking abilities educators strive to develop in learners. More than simply showcasing what a student knows, such questions reflect their yearning to delve deeper into knowledge.

See also Why You Should Be Asking More Questions In Your Classroom

Formulating questions, particularly through various strategies designed to empower questioning, is an indication of understanding rather than confusion. It involves both knowledge and the insight to identify knowledge gaps.

Questions hold greater weight than answers as they reflect equal parts understanding and curiosity. Asking a question connects one's existing knowledge with future possibilities, prompting exploration of what else can be learned or perceived. A well-crafted question illustrates the interconnectedness of concepts.

In an educational context, while a student might encounter a water droplet, a literary device, a historical event, or a mathematical theorem, these appear as isolated fragments without the context of inquiry. A biology student must perceive that droplet as a source of life, embracing its multifaceted roles.

It symbolizes vitality—both an object of science and a representation of health.

Furthermore, students need to grasp what lies within that droplet and how to uncover its secrets.

They must also appreciate what prior studies have revealed regarding water and its implications both inside and outside scientific discourse.

Ultimately, students must recognize that water is never just water.

Teacher Questions vs. Student Questions

In navigating the complexities of student learning, teachers often trade personalization for efficiency. With too many students and a packed curriculum, they instinctively prioritize breadth over depth.

As a result, questions frequently shift from targeted inquiries to generic prompts intended to stimulate engagement—during a 30-student class under a tight curriculum, this approach becomes a necessary compromise, albeit at the expense of individual exploration.

This bottleneck only exists when the teacher composes the questions. When students take charge, the dynamics shift dramatically. Their inquiries are personal, reflecting their curiosity rather than a pre-planned curriculum. They’re under pressure to contribute, leading to authentic questions that drive their learning process. Unlike teacher-led questions, student-generated inquiries emerge from their internal reflections and fascinations.

It’s akin to a Venus flytrap awaiting an unsuspecting insect. The topic lingers in a student's mind, and when the moment to express themselves arrives, their questions snap into place, catalyzing the learning process.

For teachers, the best part? Questions offer insights that answers often obscure.

Understanding the Purpose of Questions

Conceptually, questions can serve various purposes, ranging from traditional to more contemporary approaches.

Terry Heick articulates this idea in What Is The Purpose Of A Question?:

“A good question triggers thought—leading to more inquiries and exploration. It clarifies, reveals, and inspires hope. Conversely, a poor question stifles thought, leading to confusion and doubt.”

Traditional Academic Perspective

In a conventional educational setting, the aim of a question is primarily to elicit measurable responses that showcase a student's knowledge.

Curriculum-Focused Perspective

Here, the emphasis on good questions outweighs the importance of correct answers, as they illuminate the complexities of student comprehension within a defined curriculum.

Inquiry-Based Perspective

These questions serve as markers of curiosity and confusion, indicating paths for further inquiry, which are continuously refined through learning. This aligns with the principles of question-based learning.

Self-Directed Learning Perspective

In a student-centric context, questions illuminate diverse learning pathways distinct from curriculum constraints, with student-generated curiosities driving the educational experience.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Questions

• Good questions reveal nuanced understandings, providing insight into a student's knowledge in specific contexts.
• They encourage inquiry-based learning, emphasizing exploration over mere demonstration of knowledge.
• Questions align well with modern information-seeking behaviors, particularly in a world dominated by digital search.
• When employed strategically, questions can facilitate personalized learning, allowing for on-the-spot adjustments based on individual student needs.

• Questions rely heavily on language, meaning barriers such as jargon, syntax, and academic diction can obstruct learning.
• They can impose suggested answers, leading students to conclude prematurely rather than encouraging ongoing exploration.
• Valuing precise answers can diminish the perceived quality of responses, making the confidence of the answerer skew the evaluation of their responses.
• “Bad questions” can easily confuse, potentially harming students’ perception of their self-efficacy and willingness to engage in questioning.

Common Written Assessment Question Types

Written assessments typically employ several question formats, including:

Matching

True/False

Multiple Choice

Short Answer

Diagramming

Essay

Open-Ended

Questioning and Self-Directed Learning

Through the years, questions have steered educators in crafting units and lesson plans, often revolving around essential questions that guide student learning through established content.

In the TeachThought Self-Directed Learning Model, learners create their own educational pathways using inquiries that highlight self-awareness, civic responsibility, and interconnected human experiences. Within this framework, existing questions serve as a guide to uncover potential paths for learning.

Additionally, the Question Formation Technique stands out as an effective tool for encouraging questioning within classrooms, with detailed insights available here, alongside other effective strategies.

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance reflects the discomfort of holding two competing beliefs or thoughts. For instance, if a student believes in the foundational role of Freedom of Speech in a democratic society but encounters a challenging alternative perspective through techniques like Socratic questioning, they face a dilemma—must they adjust their stance? These inquiries can encourage deeper self-reflection and evolution of thought.

The Role of Lower-Level Questions in Classrooms

Lower-level questions target the foundational elements of various learning taxonomies, often serving as factual recall inquiries—definitions, dates, names, and other specifics. Education has historically placed less value on these 'lower-level' inquiries, which is sometimes misconstrued as inherently negative.

The perception that lower-order thinking lacks the sophistication of higher-order reasoning diminishes the crucial role of foundational knowledge. Understanding names and events is not at odds with creativity; rather, it's a steppingstone to deeper insight. As articulated through Bloom’s Taxonomy, what may appear as simple memorization is foundational to building more intricate cognitive processes.

In reality, lower-level questions open doors to more complex understandings. To use a historical example, lacking awareness of a war's basic facts limits one’s ability to analyze and evaluate it meaningfully.

Thus, lower-level inquiries are instrumental in establishing a knowledge base, setting a stage for more nuanced comprehension. They serve a critical role in learning, as noted by 5 Common Misconceptions About Bloom’s Taxonomy, where the division between 'higher-order' and 'lower-order' thinking is a misconception in itself.

Essential Questions in Education

Grant Wiggins articulates an essential question as “broad in scope and timeless in nature, perpetually inviting debate.”

Essential Questions as Examples

What constitutes justice?

Is art driven by personal taste or universal principles?

To what extent should we modify our biological and chemical makeup?

Can science and religion coexist?

How do an author's perspective and cultural context influence the interpretation of a text?

A question qualifies as essential when it:

• Inspires real, relevant exploration into core ideas and content;
• Fuels deep contemplation, stimulating dialogue and ongoing inquiries;
• Encourages students to weigh alternatives and substantiate their viewpoints;
• Provokes necessary reconsideration of assumptions and previous knowledge;
• Links back to prior knowledge and personal experiences;
• Presents opportunities for transfer to various contexts.

Discover additional examples of essential questions here.

Bonus Techniques

1. Think-Pair-Share

A collaborative learning approach that fosters discussion and allows students to express their thoughts and inquiries with peers before engaging with the larger group.

Process

Think: Present a thought-provoking question related to the lesson, allowing students a moment to contemplate their responses privately.

Pair: Have students partner up to discuss their ideas, encouraging the generation of additional questions during their conversation.

Share: Facilitate sharing within the class, allowing pairs to communicate their most intriguing questions or contribute to a broader discussion.

Follow-Up: Use the questions developed through this activity to shape future inquiries, research tasks, or classroom discussions.

2. Wonder Wall

Description: A designated area in the classroom where students can post questions that arise during lessons or independent activities, visually promoting a culture of inquiry.

Process

Set up the space: Allocate a section of a wall or bulletin board as the Wonder Wall, providing materials for easy question posting.

Introduce the concept: Explain the purpose of the Wonder Wall, inviting students to post questions about topics or ideas as they arise.

Regular Reviews: Dedicate time weekly to address and explore selected questions as a class, integrating them into upcoming lessons.

Foster interaction: Encourage students to respond to one another’s questions on the Wonder Wall, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Curriculum Integration: Utilize questions from the Wonder Wall to inform inquiry-based projects and discussions, ensuring student curiosity drives the learning process.

A Guide to Questioning in the Classroom; Image credit: flickr user flickeringbrad