Importance of questioning in teaching
1. In your own schooling experiences (grade school to now), recall an experience where your teacher stimulated or inspired your thinking about a topic using thoughtful questioning techniques (e.g., A Socratic circle with questions, debate questions, etc.).
The question brought a flashback to my early schooling, I remember when I was in grade 4, as part of a social studies lesson, we were assigned to watch TV news and share it with the class the next day. When I shared what news I saw on TV, my teacher continuously asked me what I thought, how I felt, and what I would have done in response. As I reflect back, that lesson shook me and taught me to look at the world from a much more mature perspective. I think that is the whole purpose of questioning, and it is also mentioned in the article that “questioning promotes higher-order thinking (Hunkin, 1969). The article also emphasizes that using appropriate questions, when properly asked, contributes to significant improvement in students learning and development of critical thinking skills (Buchanan Hill, 2016). Therefore, it is essential for teachers to emphasize the importance of questioning in their classrooms. Questions should be asked in a way that encourages students to think critically and come up with their own answers. This will help them develop better problem-solving skills and become more independent learners.
Moreover, as discussed in the article, asking questions is one of the most basic and important ways a teacher can encourage thinking, learning, and class participation. It was also mentioned in the article that "questions do not easily come to mind," which I firmly agree with, and that “teachers must find them”, which means it is a practice and skillset that needs time to refine with all the available resources and supports (Buchanan Hill, 2016). All in all, it is essential that teachers take the time to develop the necessary skills to help them create meaningful questions for their students.
Some direct quotes from the reading,
“The purpose of asking questions at strategic intervals so that they fit in with the natural flow of the reading lesson enhances students’ willingness to respond. If the teacher finds that too many of the questions that are asked are well above the heads of most students and there is too much “teacher talk,” he or she may want to ask more basic questions and then follow up with difficult ones progressively. Too many higher-order questions can be frustrating for students and detrimental to the inquiry process. Research affirms that lower-level questions generally do not improve thinking or student achievement, but they are helpful when reviewing information contained in the text. To end a lesson, teachers may ask knowledge-level questions to ascertain what the student has learned” (Buchanan Hill, 2016).
Wait time
“Wait time is the amount of time that lapses after the teacher poses a question and before (a) the teacher answers it himself or herself, (b) the teacher repeats the question, (c) the teacher rephrases the question, (d) the teacher adds additional information to the question, and (e) the teacher accepts an answer to the question from a student (Harris & Swick, 1985)” (Buchanan Hill, 2016). As teachers increase wait time, students feel more in control of their behaviour. They may also feel that the teacher is more interested in their ideas than in testing their ability to remember facts.
Effective questioning techniques
“Higher-order questions require that students interpret, synthesize, or analyze facts. The literature includes many strategies for teachers interested in improving their higher-level questioning techniques. For example, one approach is for teachers to direct readers to particular kinds of information in the text. This strategy may lead the students to develop a method for processing and responding to higher-level questions (Andre, 1979)
Phrase questions clearly. Ask questions frequently, but use caution in asking them in such a way as to constrict students’ thinking or make them anxious. Extensive question-asking may become less necessary as students develop their own strategies for learning and reviewing.
Ask low-cognitive and high-cognitive questions before, during, and after instruction. Questions before instruction should be designed to get students to think about what they already know so that they can better assimilate new curriculum content. Questions during instruction should be used to keep students involved and provide a check on whether they comprehend. Questions after instruction during review sessions provide opportunities for continued practice and application of new information and skills.
After asking a question, allow three to five seconds of wait time before requesting students’ responses, particularly when high-cognitive level questions are asked. Give positive feedback, and follow up with a probing question.
Encourage students to respond in some way to each question asked. During instruction, ask students questions about the facts, ideas, and thought processes that you think are particularly important. Students are likely to remember these facts, ideas, and processes if questions are managed in this way.
Balance responses from volunteering and nonvolunteering students. Simply asking a good question—especially a good higher cognitive question—does not guarantee a good student response. Provide controlled practice, and remind students to listen in order to maintain a high level of on-task behavior.
Assist with incorrect responses by prompting the students.
Probe students’ responses to have them clarify ideas, support a point of view, or extend their thinking. It is difficult to imagine how students will learn to think unless they have repeated opportunities to respond to higher cognitive questions.
Buchanan Hill, J. (2016). Questioning techniques: A study of instructional practice Download Questioning techniques: A study of instructional practice. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(5), 660-671.
2. As you see it now, how would you organize your questioning techniques to inspire thinking during a lesson? Consider Bloom's, as well as videos and readings from this week and last. Consider how you will ensure all students have an opportunity to engage.
Reflecting on questioning techniques, the lesson video and article deepened my understanding of how effective questioning can promote critical thinking. Although I had some prior awareness that thoughtful conversations lead to knowledge, I learned that these depend heavily on well-crafted questions. This week’s lesson highlighted how using a structured approach can significantly improve the quality of questions asked in the classroom.
Bloom’s Taxonomy provides an invaluable framework for crafting questions that foster higher-order thinking. I appreciated how the video broke down Bloom's levels, offering practical examples of layered questions that encourage students to think critically.
On a daily basis, I envision using questions aligned with Bloom's stages. For example, at the Remember stage, I would use knowledge-based questions to help students recall facts and basic concepts. Next, in the Understand stage, I would ask students to explain ideas and concepts, make connections between related topics, summarize information, and identify causes. A question here might be: “What is the difference between the polar climate zone and other climate zones?”
Moving to the Apply stage, I would prompt students to use their knowledge in real-life or practical situations. Here, students could differentiate between various climatic regions, identifying the characteristics of hot, humid areas versus dry, cold ones. In the Analyze stage, questions would encourage students to compare the lifestyles of people in different regions. For instance, I might ask them to examine how climate affects farming and food production in these areas. The Evaluate stage could involve selecting a region and defending their choice, explaining why they value their selection and what makes it distinct from others. Here, students would provide reasoning based on their knowledge of climate and culture.
Finally, in the Create stage, students would be challenged to design a climate response to help people in a particular region, using the knowledge they have gained to develop practical solutions.
Using techniques like Bloom’s Taxonomy allows me to design questions that span various cognitive levels, from recall to synthesis and evaluation. This approach lets me tailor questions to match students’ abilities, helping them link new concepts to prior knowledge and build more complex insights over time.
Moreover, effective questioning techniques help foster a more inclusive learning environment by encouraging participation from all students. Techniques such as "wait time" ensure that students have adequate time to process before answering, which is especially valuable for those needing extra time. By implementing these methods, I am more likely to engage a diverse range of students, creating a classroom where everyone feels valued and encouraged to contribute.
This video provides very easy to understand examples of how to level up students' learning by incorporating Bloom's taxonomy and its stages.
References
Buchanan Hill, J. (2016). Questioning techniques: A study of instructional practice
Download Questioning techniques: A study of instructional practice. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(5), 660-671.
Ornstein, A. C. (1988). Questioning: The essence of good teaching, Part II. NASSP Bulletin, 75(505), 72–80.
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