Facts about questioning in classrooms

The majority of questions asked during lessons are:

• Asked by teachers • Answered by teachers • Are closed questions • For review and to assess understanding,

rather than to challenge thinking and develop understanding.

Apparently as teachers we ask… • 1-2 questions every minute. • Over 70,000 questions in a

year… Most of which we know the answer to.

• Over 1 million questions in 15 years!

In Primary Schools… • 57 % of all questions asked are managerial questions – ‘where is your dinner

money?’ • 35% - lower order / recall type questions. • 8% - Higher order questions. In Secondary Schools • Only 4% of all questions asked are higher order questions. A teacher’s reflection of their practice – does this ring true? ‘I’d become dissatisfied with the closed question & answer style that my unthinking teaching had fallen into, I would frequently be lazy in my acceptance of right answers and sometimes even tacit complicity with a class to make sure that none of us had to work too hard…. They and I knew that if the question and answer wasn’t going too smoothly, I’d change the question, answer it myself or only seek answers from the ‘brighter students’. There must have been times (still are?) where an outside observer would see my lessons as a small discussion group surrounded by many sleepy onlookers.’ ‘It is not until you analyse your own questioning do you realise how poor it can be. I found myself using questions to fill time and asking questions which require little thought from the students’

The average teacher: • Waits less than a second for a response to a question. • Asks on average 3-5 questions a minute • Sometimes asks as many as 400 questions in a short class session • Repeats students responses • Uses such words as very good and wonderful indiscriminately • Looks for ‘the answer’.

Withhold judgements and ask..Withhold judgements and ask..

• What do you think?

• Why do you think that?

• How do you know?

• Do you have a reason?

• Is there another way?

• Do you agree?

• What if… would it be the same?

Remember to give

wait time / thinking

time / pair share/ no

hands up

Wait - time• The average teacher:• Waits less than a second for a response to a question.• Asks on average 3-5 questions a minute• Sometimes asks as many as 400 questions in a short class session• Repeats students responses• Uses such words as very good and wonderful indiscriminately• Looks for the answer.• • • How to use wait – time:• Wait at least 3 seconds after asking a question, to let the student think then answer.• Wait at least 3 seconds after any response.• Avoid verbal signals when questioning. E.g. Isn’t it true that…? Or what you mean

is….• Eliminate mimicry.• Eliminate judgemental sentences when students are giving their views.

Results of wait – time:The length of students’ responses increases.The number of freely offered, appropriate responses increases.The ‘I don’t know ‘type answer decreases.The confidence of students increases.More speculative responses occur.Pupils work better together.The frequency of questions raised by pupils’ increases.Formally ‘slow learners’ ask and answer more questions. Teachers’ behaviour also changes;They are more willing to listen to and explore the plausibility of answers.They ask less questions but of greater variety and quality.Their expectations of students, especially ‘slow learners’, are raised. NB – effective questioning techniques and wait time need to be well established for ‘thinking skills’ strategies to be implemented effectively.

From Elaine LockwoodSecondary Consultant. Lancashire

Bloom’s Taxonomy Questioning Simplified

KNOWLEDGE

COMPREHENSION

APPLICATION

ANALYSIS

SYNTHESIS

EVALUATION

What do they already know, recall facts, basic answers, etc.

Demonstrate understanding by organising, interpreting and comparing ideas.

Solving problems by applying acquired knowledge, facts and rules in a different way.

Breaking information down into parts by identifying motives and causes, finding evidence to support ideas.

Compiling information, finding new patterns and proposing alternative solutions or methods.

Presenting and defending opinions about making judgements about information, ideas and quality of work based on a set of criteria.

What is.....? How is......? Where is.......? When did.......? How did.......? How would you......? Why did.......? Who was/were.......? Which one......? Can you select....... Can you list......? Name......? Show......? Label......? Tel.......? Define........? Who were the main...? Collect..........

How would you classify/compare/ contrast......? In your own words.... What facts..... Rephrase....... What is the main idea..... Explain..... Discuss...... Predict........ Estimate....... Which is the best answer.......? Summarise....... Interpret....... Which statements support........

How would you organise.....? Apply....... How would you show your understanding....? How would you solve...? What examples can you give.....? What approach would you use......? What other way....? What questions could you ask.....? Which facts would you select to show...? Demonstrate...... Classify...... Identify..........

Analyse....... What are the main parts? How is........ What do you think.....? What motive is there......? What conclusions can you.......? What relationships...... Select....... What ideas justify....... List...... Categorise........ Arrange....... Test for........ If we know......why.... Explain.......

What changes would you make? Create....... Design........ How would/could you improve/test/change/ modify/adapt....... Can you predict/estimate...... Compose....... Suppose you could....what..... What facts could you use.......? How could you order.....? Construct a model to show........

Do you agree with.....? What is your opinion of.......? Choose........ Recommend....... Based on what you know, how would you evaluate/justify/ defend/support/explain/ compare/judge....... What would you select...? Measure...... Decide....... Prioritise....... What conclusion.......

One answer Many answers

From source

Not from

source

Who killed Tybalt?Who was responsible for Tybalt’s death?

How many deaths were there in WS plays?

Is killing always wrong?

IS DID CAN WOULD WILL MIGHT

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

WHY

HOW

IS DID CAN WOULD WILL MIGHT

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

WHY

HOW