1. Using Effective Questioning Techniques
“Instructors will perform with excellence if they employ effective questioning techniques”
Bob Powers (1992)

2. Why ask questions? Check the students’ understanding of key points
Check for mastery of basic concepts
Encourage critical thinking
Stimulate interaction among students, as well as between student and instructor

3. Characteristics of Good Questions
Clearly stated
Common vocabulary
Thought provoking
Properly directed

4. Questioning Techniques
Encourage students to ask questions at any time.
Give adequate consideration to all questions-never evade a question.
Scatter questions over the entire class.

5. Questioning Techniques
Pose questions within the ability of the student to whom the question is addressed.
Ask questions of the inattentive.
Require students to give complete answers.

6. Questioning Techniques
Do not permit frequent group responses.
Ask open-ended questions
Avoid asking questions that can be answered by guessing.
Use the key words of questioning--how, why, when, where, what, which.

7. Questioning Techniques
Have students speak loudly so that all may hear.
Use correct grammar and terminology.
Keep questions on the subject.
Write questions in your lesson plan.
Use spontaneous questions.

8. Bloom’s Critical Thinking Questioning Strategies

9. Bloom’s Six Levels Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

10. Knowledge Relate Name Tell List Recall Recognize Match Choose Define
Level 1 – Recall
Remembering previously learned material, recalling facts, terms, basic concepts from stated text
Relate
Tell
Recall
Match
Define
Name
List
Recognize
Choose
Label

11. Comprehension Compare Explain Describe Rephrase Outline Show Organize
Level 2 – Understand
Demonstrating understanding of the stated meaning of facts and ideas
Compare
Describe
Outline
Organize
Classify
Explain
Rephrase
Show
Relate
Identify

12. Inference Speculate Interpret Infer Generalize Conclude
Level 2 1/2 – Infer
Demonstrating understanding of the unstated meaning of facts and ideas
Speculate
Interpret
Infer
Generalize
Conclude

13. Application Apply Construct Model Use Practice Dramatize Restructure
Level 3 – Put to Use
Solving problems by applying acquired knowledge, facts, and techniques in a different situation
Apply
Construct
Model
Use
Practice
Dramatize
Restructure
Simulate
Translate
Experiment

14. Analysis Analyze Diagram Classify Contrast Sequence Simplify Summarize
Level 4 – Break down
Examining and breaking down information into parts
Analyze
Diagram
Classify
Contrast
Sequence
Simplify
Summarize
Relate to
Categorize
Differentiate

15. Synthesis Compose Design Develop Propose Adapt Elaborate Formulate
Level 5 – Put together
Compiling information in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern
Compose
Design
Develop
Propose
Adapt
Elaborate
Formulate
Originate
Solve
Invent

16. Evaluation Defend Judge Justify Rank Prioritize Rate Support Evaluate
Level 6 – Judge
Presenting and defending opinions by making judgments about information based on criteria
Defend
Justify
Prioritize
Support
Prove
Judge
Rank
Rate
Evaluate
Recommend

17. Applying Bloom’s Knowledge – List the items …
Comprehension – Explain why …
Application – Demonstrate what ...
Analysis – Compare this …
Synthesis – Propose how …
Evaluation – Judge whether …
Defend your opinion…

18. Application Openers
Put yourself in the place of one of the characters and tell what you would have done….. ?
What would result if….. ?
Compare and contrast….. ?
What questions would you to find out … ?
How would the character solve the similar situation of….. ?
Put the main character in another story setting, how would he act?
If you had to plan a vacation for the main character, where would they go?

19. Analysis Openers What motive does ____ have…..?
What conclusions can you draw about…..?
What is the relationship between…..?
How is ______ related to …..?
What ideas support the fact that…..?
What evidence can you find…..?
What inferences can you make about…..?
What generalizations can be made about …..?
What assumptions do you make about …..?
What is the theme of…..?

20. Synthesis Openers What would happen if…..?
What advice would you give…..?
What changes would you make to…..?
Can you give an explanation for…..?
How could you change the plot…..?
Suppose you could _____, what would you do…..?
How would you rewrite the section from _________’s point of view…..?
How would you rewrite the ending of the story?

21. Evaluation Openers
Compare two characters in the selection….which was a better person…why?
Which character would you most like to spend the day with?
Do you agree with the actions of…..?
How could you determine…..?
Why was it better that…..?
What choice would you have made about…..?
How would you explain…..?
What data was used to make the conclusion…..?
Would it be better if…..?

22. Questioning

23. Objectives
To develop teachers’ self-awareness and analysis of their own questioning techniques
To identify key features of good questioning
To enhance the planning for, and use of, questions
To identify relevant skills and plans for professional development (related to questioning) which teachers can then pursue

24. Importance of questioning
Questioning is a critical skill for teachers because it is:
the most common form of interaction between teacher and pupil;
an element of virtually every type and model of lesson;
a key method of providing appropriate challenge for all pupils;
an important influence on the extent of progress made;
the most immediate and accessible way for a teacher to assess learning.

25. Purposes of questioning
To interest, engage and challenge pupils
To check on prior knowledge
To stimulate recall and use of existing knowledge and experience in order to create new understanding and meaning
To focus thinking on key concepts and issues
To extend pupils’ thinking from the concrete and factual to the analytical and evaluative
To lead pupils through a planned sequence which progressively establishes key understandings
To promote reasoning, problem solving, evaluation and the formulation of hypotheses
To promote pupils’ thinking about the way they have learned

26. Pitfalls of questioning
It is easy to fall into the trap of:
asking too many closed questions;
asking pupils questions to which they can respond with a simple yes or no answer;
asking too many short-answer, recall-based questions;
asking bogus ‘guess what I’m thinking’ questions;
starting all questions with the same stem;

27. Pitfalls of questioning
It is easy to fall into the trap of:
dealing ineffectively with incorrect answers or misconceptions;
focusing on a small number of pupils and not involving the whole class;
making the sequence of questions too rigid;
not giving pupils time to reflect, or to pose their own questions;
asking questions when another strategy might be more appropriate.

28. Bloom’s taxomony of questioning
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

29. Effective questioning
reinforces and revisits the learning objectives;
includes ‘staging’ questions to draw pupils towards key understanding or to increase the level of challenge in a lesson as it proceeds;
involves all pupils;
engages pupils in thinking for themselves;
promotes justification and reasoning;
reates an atmosphere of trust where pupils’ opinions and ideas are valued;

30. Effective questioning
shows connections between previous and new learning;
encourages pupils to speculate and hypothesise;
encourages pupils to ask as well as to ‘receive’ questions;
encourages pupils to listen and respond to each other as well as to the teacher.

31. For Better Teaching Results
Questioning Skills
For Better Teaching Results

32. Divergent Questioning
Teachers who ask divergent, “open-ended” questions in science classrooms promote learning because these types of questions require students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information instead of simply recalling facts

33. Classroom Questions Closed: Limited number of acceptable responses
Open: Large number of acceptable responses
Managerial: Facilitate classroom operations
Rhetorical: Re-emphasis or reinforcement

34. “In the skillful use of the question, more than in anything else lies the fine art of teaching; for in such use we have the guide to clear and vivid ideas, the quick spur to imagination, the stimulus to thought, the incentive to action (Edward deGarmo)

35. Paraphrasing
Communicates that the teacher has HEARD what the student has said
UNDERSTOOD what was said and CARES what was said.
Paraphrasing involves RESTATING in your own words, or summarizing what was said.

36. Clarifying Questions
Clarifying questions convey that the teacher has HEARD what the student has said, but does not fully understand what was said.
Clarifying involves asking for more information or discover the meaning of the language used.

37. Examples of Clarifying
Would you tell me a little more about what you were thinking there?
Let me see if I understand what you are saying.
Can you give me an example of what you are telling me?
Note: WHY tends to make people defensive

38. Mediational Questions
Hypothesize what might happen
Analyze what worked an didn’t
Imagine possibilities
Compare and contrast what was planned with what happened.

39. Examples of Mediational Questions
When have you done something like this before?
How did you decide that was the right answer?
What is another way you might explain that?
What do you think would happen if-----?

40. From what I hear you say-----------
I’m hearing many things
What do you think?
How did you decide that was the right answer?
Tell me what you mean when you say ?
It’d help me understand if you’d give me an example of----
I’m interested in what you just told us, I wonder---
Let me see if I understand
What I hear you saying
What’s another way you might ?
So,
What do you think would happen if------?

41. PAUSE
(wait time)
3-5 sec.
Teacher Question
Student Response
Teacher Reaction
PAUSE
3-5 sec

42. Why Practice “Wait Time?”
The length of students responses increased.
The number of unsolicited but appropriate responses by
students increased.
Failures to respond decreased.
Confidence increased.
Speculative thinking increased
Student to student comparing increased.
Higher level thinking responses increased.

43. Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than
a giving of right answers.
Josef Albers