Inquiry learning How do we support inquiry learning? Tool ID-3T: Planning for effective questioning © 2016 mascil project (G.A. no. 320693). Lead partner University of Nottingham; CC-NC-SA 4.0 license granted. The project mascil has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013).

Overview Aim: To consider the sorts of questions that will promote inquiry learning. We will: Discuss questioning as a group; Work in pairs to develop our own ideas; Read and discuss some research; Plan a lesson. The aim of this tool is to explore the use of different types of questions in IBL. To begin, the group considers questions that promote inquiry learning, recording their responses on a handout. A handout which summarises research related to questioning is distributed and then participants plan a lesson that will promote thinking and reasoning, supported by a handout.

Questioning In what ways are questions used in the classroom? When is it useful to use questions? What types of questions are used? Begin with a brief discussion about how questions are used in the classroom (such as when questions are useful and what types of questions might be used), particularly if you have not worked through Tools ID-1 and ID-2.

Think - pair - share Discuss the question: What types of questions promote inquiry-based learning? Think about some examples and record these on Handout 1. Now ask the teachers to work in pairs to discuss the question: What types of questions promote inquiry-based learning? Ask them to provide some examples that they have used recently. They should record their responses on Handout 1: What kinds of questions promote inquiry-based learning?

Five principles for effective questioning Share together your thoughts from the paired work and consider the five principles for effective questioning: The teacher plans questions that encourage thinking and reasoning; Everyone is included; Students are given time to think; The teacher avoids judging students’ responses; Students’ responses are followed up in ways that encourage deeper thinking. Bring the whole group together. Share some thoughts from the small group session. Make available copies of Handout 2: Five principles for effective questioning. This provides a summary of some research findings related to questioning and suggests that effective questioning displays the five characteristics: The teacher plans questions that encourage thinking and reasoning; Everyone is included; Students are given time to think; The teacher avoids judging students’ responses; Students’ responses are followed up in ways that encourage deeper thinking.

Five principles for effective questioning Which of these principles do you usually implement in your own teaching? Which principles do you find it most difficult to implement? Why is this? Ask the teachers to discuss the research findings in small groups, perhaps focusing on these questions: Which of these principles do you usually implement in your own teaching? Which principles do you find it most difficult to implement? Why is this?

Research evidence Read the extract provided from ‘Working inside the black box’ (Black and Wiliam, 1998). What are the implications for your practice?

Planning for effective questioning Start to plan a lesson that will promote thinking and reasoning. Consider: How will you organise the classroom and resources? How will you introduce the questioning session? Which ground rules will you establish? What will be your first question? How will you give time for students to think before responding? Will you need to intervene to refocus or discuss different strategies they are using? What questions will you use in plenary discussions towards the end of the lesson? Ask each teacher to select classroom task in their subject area from the Mascil repository, and plan a lesson that will promote thinking and reasoning. They could do this in the session or at home. The following questions will help them plan: How will you organise the classroom and the resources? How will you introduce the questioning session? Which ground rules will you establish? What will be your first question? How will you give time for students to think before responding? Will you need to intervene at some point to refocus or discuss the different strategies that they are using? What questions will you use in plenary discussions during or towards the end of the lesson?

Finishing off Discuss briefly the ways you plan to promote thinking and reasoning in the lesson plan you have been working on. Aim to complete your lesson plan before the next session and be ready to share your ideas about how student thinking and learning will be promoted in the lesson. Handout 3: Planning for effective questioning will be also be useful to support teachers as they plan. They should aim to teach the lesson before the next session and be ready to share their reflections on the effectiveness of their questions.