Effective Questioning Leads to Improved Student Effective Questioning Leads to Improved The purpose of this research was to provide a better understanding of how effective questioning can be used in the classroom and how it effects the students learning. I have separated my report on the research into four separate areas in an attempt to clearly identify the concepts more clearly. I will begin with the formation of the questions themselves, consider their implications in regards to Bloom?s Taxonomy and identify different methods in facilitation a positive classroom discussion. Finally, I will consider the impact of effective questioning on improved student learning. The teacher that enters his or her classroom and begins a lesson by posing a question that reveals an excitement in the classroom through numerous raised hands yearning to be chosen for comment is something most teachers would love to emulate. A classroom model of active participation and high levels of cognition is what we, as teachers, strive to achieve. Teachers are offered many suggestions for practice and implementation, but unless the strategy is clearly understood and properly practiced, perceived failure can lead to the dismantling of a good idea.
With that in mind I undertook the process of researching the strategy of questioning in the context of direct instruction and class discussion. I have compiled the information into four separate categories that are important in effectively utilizing the questioning strategy. First, I will discuss the importance of forming a question from the wording and formation processes to the desired effect. Second, I will take a look at how and when questions should be asked including which students to ask and how to encourage all students? involvement. Third, I will consider ways to encourage higher levels of cognition and positive classroom atmosphere in class discussion. Finally, I will return to many of the concepts in order to ascertain their effect on improved student learning. At the root of effective questioning is the design of the question itself and the way in which it is asked. Frequently, persons asking questions are asked to explain or repeat the question because it is difficult in meaning and interpretations. Other times the response to the question leaves the questioner to redesign the question because of its misinterpretation. As educators, we need to carefully review the wording, form, expected response and level of thinking required prior to asking students questions during direct instruction and class discussion.
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Using Technology in the Classroom to Improve Learning TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Introduction - 3 Area of Study - 3 Assumptions of Learning Theories - 5 Literature Review A vision to automate - 7 A vision to informate up - 11 A vision to informate down - 12 A vision to transform - 14 Research Proposal Future Research Challenges - 18 Conclusion - 23 References 24 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Area of Study ...
There are several factors that need to be considered, which I intend to discuss in the following section. Teachers asking questions during direct instruction often overlook the actual wording and form of the question. The assumption that the questioner?s interpretation of a phrase will be universal throughout a large diverse group of teenagers with a wide array of backgrounds is the beginning of a major problem of understanding by the students in the classroom. Payne (1980) explains, ?The most critical need for attention to wording is to make sure that the particular issue which the questioner has in mind is the particular issue on which the respondent gives his answers? (p. 9).
Unless teachers are looking for confusing answers, the question should not be confusing to the respondent. Payne (1980) referred to several studies and surveys that resulted in differing statistics merely due to differences in the wording of the question. Use of the words ?might?, ?should? and ?could? interchangeably by some educators resulted in a wide array of answers because of the different interpretations of the questions. Use of “could” raises the idea of possibility, while “might” suggest probability and “should” leads to a moral issue of need. There are several examples that support the need to consider wording and form in generating questions. With this in mind, the assumption that following careful review of a question will lead to immediate success is far from the truth. After rewriting or reformulating a question adhering to the careful procedure of checking all possible interpretations, a question may still fail to generate the desired response. Further explanation may still be necessary. It is important to check for understanding immediately following the question to fix any possible misunderstandings that arise. All of these factors need to be considered carefully to successfully gain the desired response and effect of a question. Bloom (1956) offers another consideration needed in forming a question, Taxonomy of Education Objectives. Sanders (1966) emphasizes that Bloom?s ideas need to be transferred to a ?taxonomy of questions? (p. 3).
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1. b 14. b 2. a 15. a 3. a 16. a 4. a 17. d 5. c 18. a 6. e 19. e 7. b 20. d 8. a 21. b 9. b 22. c 10. a 23. c 11. a 24. c 12. a 25. b 13. c . . Each Short Answer/Essay Question is worth 8 points. (Feel free to use as much space as you need to answer these five (5) questions.) 26. The four basic elements of strategic management are: Phase 1- Basic financial planning- this is when managers initiate ...
His definition of the different levels follows: 1. Memory: The student recalls or recognizes information. 2. Translation: The student changes information into a different symbolic form or language. 3. Interpretation: The student discovers relationships among facts, generalizations, definitions, values, and skills. 4. Application: The student solves a lifelike problem that requires the identification of the issue and the selection and use of appropriate generalizations and skills. 5. Analysis: The student solves a problem in the light of conscious knowledge of the parts and forms of thinking. 6. Synthesis: The student solves a problem that requires original, creative thinking. 7. Evaluation: The student makes a judgment of good or bad, right or wrong, according to standards he designates. Most teachers encourage students to utilize all levels of Bloom?s Taxonomy in order to capitalize on the optimum learning experience. However, occasional use and misunderstanding of the different levels listed above leads to fewer examples of higher levels of thinking. There are some considerations of factors that need to be assessed prior to placing a question in a particular category of the taxonomy of questions.
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Prior knowledge and preceding instruction play major roles in the classification of a question. For example, if I taught a lesson about the colony of Massachusetts and another lesson on the colony of Georgia the following day finishing with a statement of comparison between the formation of the two colonies, a similar question directed to the students later in that week could be classified as memory recall. The student that recalls my comparison will most likely use memory to answer the question while the student who failed to recall the lesson may in fact be using interpretation or analysis in answering the same question. It is important to pay careful consideration to prior knowledge and preceding instruction before classifying a question at a particular level of the taxonomy of questions. A common fallacy in the classifications of questions is the use of the follow-up how or why. Often how or why is merely a request for further memorization as opposed to the assumed higher level of cognition. Carin (1978) reported, teachers will often use a follow-up question in an effort to obtain the answer the students were given in their reading or previous lecture. Considering the information in this section, it is apparent that there is a plethora of factors in need of careful scrutiny prior to engaging students with questions as a means for learning.
Information will continue to be misinterpreted along the way, but less misrepresentation will aid in the success of questioning. It is important to understand that merely posing a question to the class hardly classifies as engaging the students at any cognitive level. To engage all the students in the classroom it is obvious that teachers need to form a plan that involves consideration of each student in the classroom. In this section I will inform about the possibility of engaging all the students at every level of cognition through questioning. Wilen (1987) emphasized the consideration of the volunteering and non-volunteering during whole-class questioning and the importance of engaging both equally. It is easiest to call upon the volunteer when searching for answers to the question posed to the class, especially when previous answers have been less than adequate and the volunteer has a better understanding of the content. Unfortunately, if the non-volunteer is allowed to stay quiet, the grasping of the addressed concept will be more difficult for them to master because a lack of involvement. On the other hand, not calling on the volunteer may lead to a dampening of interest in the students generally more appreciated for their involvement.
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Is it a good idea for High School Students to have a part-time job? I think that high school students should have part time jobs because it gives students a chance to get out and contribute to the community. It teaches students the value of money and gives them skills that they can use in their future. Firstly, a part time job for students is a good idea because students are greatly needed to ...
Thus, balancing responses is very important for each type of student. The non-volunteer will benefit through anticipation for being called upon if the teacher successfully balances the questioning. This anticipation will lead to better involvement in regards to listening as well because of the implications for following the discussion in order to be prepared for a possible response. This act of balance may also lead to a positive student-student discussion which will promote higher levels of cognition and more student interaction because of a volunteer?s desire to add or reflect on another student?s response. That opportunity in the classroom would be optimum for total class learning. Through observation, other students will be actively engaged in the discussion as well. This leads to my next topic of building upon other students? responses. Often, a response will be somewhat correct, but not cover all the information intended. Or, in another example, some students may be anxious and unable to form a clear response, instead offering a disjointed collection of information that needs clarification. As opposed to offering to rephrase or correct their statement, which will lead to cognitive levels of rote memorization at the most, utilizing a building strategy could prove more beneficial.
First, praising the student if the information is close to correct but somewhat disjointed is important so the latter choice of selecting a different student for clarification is not perceived as an exclamation of failure. Following the praise, there are two different strategies involving other students that can be used. If the initial response is very good, but just a little jumbled, asking another student to repeat the response in his or her own words will encourage a better packaging for an already good response. This method can further be disguised from the perception of the initial response being a failure by asking a student to repeat the response for a student across the room from the original respondent. This will provide the impression that the teacher believes the whole class was unable to hear the original response. It also helps keep the rest of the class engaged, which we will consider in the following section. Another method would be to tell the respondent that he will be asked to follow up on his comments after other students are given a chance to comment. This is very effective for the student that has a propensity for falling off task by warning him of the prospect of further questioning.
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More importantly, the use of building will encourage higher levels of thinking as the students evaluate, analyze, translate and interpret the reponses of the other students in the class. All classrooms lack the simplicity of an attendance of students who are all at equal levels of ability. Every classroom has a wide array of students that requires consideration of the different needs and abilities in preparing a lesson and/or questions. According to Sanders (1966) this realization can often end in a continuance of keeping students in those levels of ability by not offering each student equal opportunity in engaging the content. ?Students frequently do not develop skills in using or creating ideas because they have insufficient opportunities to practice these forms of thought? (p.24).
Sanders (1966) suggest that teachers will often lower the level of cognition for the students of lower ability, reserving the higher level questions for the high achieving student. While this sounds understandable, it effectively keeps the student with a low ability struggling with rote memorization while the high achiever gets to engage in the content. Basically, if we practice this process, we will stifle the potential of the low achieving student to actively engage in the material.
Although many high level questions directed to the low achieving student may be too difficult, teachers can find simpler high level questions to ask those students. Another effective strategy would be to start with the low achieving student and use building to add to his or her response. Following successful building on the original response, returning the question for final consideration to the first respondent will aid in higher level thinking as well as a metacognitive process. Basically, questioning will become most effective when all the students participate at all the cognitive levels collectively. Engaging all the students at all cognitive levels was discussed in the previous section, however, in this section I will look at methods that can be used to support the students? self-esteem and perception of their abilities to succeed in classroom discussion. I will discuss the importance of wait time, keeping the students engaged and limiting distracters for the student that is so easily distracted. Most importantly, a tentative and anxious student needs to have an early positive experience in order to feel comfortable to engage in classroom discussion. I?ll start with the question again. It is important to phrase the question clearly. An anxious student will have a difficult time interpreting a question because of all the fears consuming his mind at the same time the question is posed. A good strategy would be to have the question(s) already written on the board so the student as well as the rest of the class has the opportunity to consider their answers for a longer period of time. Providing additional time is very important in encouraging higher levels of thinking, which in turn serves as an excellent motivator.
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Dear Commissioner of Education, Education has always been an issue in everyday life, and continues today to be very important. The effectiveness of statewide testing has been under much discussion as President Bush has made education a top priority in his administration. In my opinion however, the method used in Texas, TAAS testing, is not effective and should not be implemented nationwide because ...
Wilen (1987) suggests that wait time of three to five seconds after asking a question before a student response is one of the most essential techniques used in questioning. A deliberate pause during a discussion can provide students with the opportunity to think at higher levels. This wait time prior to selecting a respondent can effect the entire class? thinking process, because they have no idea who will be chosen to respond to the question at hand. This method is very effective, however wait time is not limited to this particular time. Following a student?s response can be a time of reason. The student as well as many of the other students is looking for confirmation from the teacher. Effective use of wait time and non-verbal cues at this point in questioning could provide better results than constructive criticism. For example, a teacher that looks perplexed may provide a stimulus, which inspires the respondent to rethink and add to their original comments. Consider times when you have spoken to a person noticed a perplexed look on the receiver?s face and decided to rephrase the statements in an attempt to be more clearly understood. By using this method, teachers will less frequently appear inquisitive, but more often appear to be genuinely interested in what the students have to say.
Carin (1978) found that students are genuinely more comfortable and apt to participate willingly if teachers place themselves in a less controlling role. Another positive effect of wait time following a student?s response is the possibility of student-student interaction. While waiting to comment, a teacher can decide to call on another student that suddenly shows signs, volunteering or non-volunteering, of interest to the original comment. As long as the conversation stays on task and is applicable, student-student discussion can be very rewarding for the whole class. A way to facilitate student-student discussion during whole-class discussion is to utilize the repeat or paraphrase methods. Repeat can be used as addressed in the previous section by the original respondent to provide a second opportunity to better state a jumbled response, or by a different student to check for understanding. Paraphrasing can satisfy the same goals as repeat but also offers another student the opportunity to adjust the original response to satisfy his or her thinking. Basically, use of repeat, paraphrase and wait time will keep the rest of the class on their toes, because any student may be called at any time to add, adjust or simply comment on the current response or discussion.
Whole-class participation will lead to improved student learning. Any method that garners student interest, stays on task and instigates higher levels of thinking will lead to improved student learning. Effective questioning is one of those methods. There are several positive rewards, as I have shown, for both the student and the teacher when facilitation of effective questioning is utilized during class discussion. Teachers are actively checking for understanding, adjusting and reteaching information as needed. Students are given the opportunity and supported in their involvement with the learning in the classroom. Important as well, effective questioning is consistent with assessment and encourages students to thing on a metacognitive level.
My explanation of effective questioning has been limited to its use in whole class discussion, but should not be limited to that medium. A teacher that can generate enthusiasm and higher levels of thinking by posing a simple question is something all teachers can and should become. With several chances to practice and participate successfully, students will begin to understand and engage in positive classroom discussions.
