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The Art of Questioning

The Art of Questioning. Seminar. Session Intentions. To be made aware of the basic principles which underpin successful learning environments. To examine teaching and learning in a range of contexts. To consider the vital role of questioning in the classroom. Why Do People Ask Questions…?.

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The Art of Questioning

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  1. The Art of Questioning Seminar KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  2. Session Intentions • To be made aware of the basic principles which underpin successful learning environments. • To examine teaching and learning in a range of contexts. • To consider the vital role of questioning in the classroom. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  3. Why Do People Ask Questions…? Discuss Do questions vary in nature and complexity? Are they contextually embedded? Are they always necessary? When do you ask questions? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  4. Devise 3 Questions to Ask About This Picture KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  5. Why do Teachers Ask Questions? Discuss Why do we need to ask questions? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  6. Questioning Needs To Be Productive • Open • Probing • Reflective • Hypothetical [Values Perception] KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  7. What questions would a teacher want to ask? Discuss with a partner and feed back to the main group. Try to develop open questions which need further investigation rather than closed and limited questions. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  8. Teachers Ask Questions To… • Assess • Differentiate • Lead Teaching Discuss how each of these 3 aspects might be seen in the classroom KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  9. Reasons Given By Teachers For Asking Questions • To encourage thought, understand ideas, phenomena, procedures and values • To check understanding, knowledge and skills • To gain attention to the task and to enable the teacher to move toward the learning objective • To review, reinforce, revise, recall and remind • To manage, settling down, focus attention, warn • To teach the whole class through pupil answers • To give everyone a chance to answer • To prompt bright pupils and encourage others • To draw in shyer pupils • To probe pupils after critical answers, redirect or ask other pupils • To allow expressions of feelings or views of empathy KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  10. Activity • In pairs ask each other the following questions: • Do you like school? • Do you meet your friends during break? • Is homework set every day? • Do you eat school dinners? • What do you like about school? • Where do you go during break time? • How much homework do you receive? • What do you think of school dinners? • Ask the rest of the group: Which questions generated the best answers? • Closed questions often prompt the short response: Yes or No. Open questions are used because they encourage people to give more information. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  11. Teacher’s Approach • What is the link between the teacher’s approach to questioning and classroom climate? • Teachers need to : Plan questions – to have an idea of who is likely to be able to answer each question and each type of question – Why? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  12. A Positive Approach • Inclusive of all children • Clear and unambiguous • Presents an encouraging tone • Allows children thinking time • Personable [humour where appropriate] • Motivates and sustains interest • Accords dignity to children in phrasing an answer • Allows them to have a go/contribute even if they may be wrong • Displays consistency and fairness • Models what you expect from the children • Recognises the interpersonal nature of the exchange KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  13. Unproductive Questioning -Possible Shortcomings • Asking too many superficial questions • Asking too few questions • Asking rhetorical questions in the presence of very young pupils • Use of inappropriate vocabulary • Questions that are poorly expressed • Delivering questions in a way which pupils fear giving a wrong answer • Several questions in a single statement • Questions that begin hard and get harder • Questions that are too simple KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  14. Open Questions Most questions asked by a teacher are closed – the teacher already knows the answer Assessment for Learning encourages the asking of open questions that encourage children to respond having thought more deeply about the way they understand ideas and concepts Possible open ended questions… • How can we be sure that…? • How would you explain…? • What does that tell us about…? • How do we know…? • What is the same and what is different about…? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  15. Response Time The average response time for an answer for a question asked by a teacher is…? 1 second KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  16. Take Up Time One second is not enough for most children to understand the language in which the question has been given, relate the question to their prior learning which is going to enable them to formulate their reply, structure their reply and put their hands up. Some teachers find the silence between asking and having a question answered difficult Between 3-5 seconds is about right for dealing with most open questions KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  17. Ted Wragg • Teachers and Questioning http://www.teachers.tv/video/2619 KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  18. Levels of Questioning[Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy] Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Process • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation Lower Order – Recall of facts and information Higher Order – Require reasoning Studies show that teachers use more lower than higher order questions It is important teachers use a mix of both KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  19. Activity 2 Activity KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  20. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010 http://excellence.qia.org.uk/GoldDust/questioning/print/Open%20and%20closed%20question%20activity.pdf

  21. Key Tactics in Questioning • Structuring • Pitching • Directing • Distributing • Pausing • Pacing • Responding • Listening to Replies KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  22. Purposes Of Questioning • To find out what pupils already know or do not know • To shape a line of argument by using pupils own ideas • To check how well the pupil understands what is being explained • Eliciting concrete examples of principles or concepts • Helping children develop a desire to enquire and learn further, once the explanation is complete KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  23. The Purpose of Asking Questions • To involve pupils in the lesson • To discover whether pupils possess specified forms of knowledge • To encourage pupils to think deeply about an issue • To open up fresh areas of a theme or topic for discovery • To inspire creativity and imagination • To help pupils ask their own questions KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  24. Pupil Questions • Why do pupils ask so few questions? • What are the implications of this for your teaching? Encouraging children to look and ask questions is an important part of teaching. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  25. Pupils Leading The Process Look at the following slide of The Great Exhibition… What questions might children ask about it? How could you use these questions to develop an open/investigative activity with a KS2 Class? What cross-curricular links might be possible? Devise a possible approach with your partner and be prepared to share outcomes. KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  26. What questions might children have to ask about this slide? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  27. Independent Study Task • In Reading Pack read Hayes (2004) “Effective Questioning” in Foundations of Primary Teaching. • Observe teachers’ use of questioning on SE – how do questions support learning. • Note effective questions – why do you consider them effective? • Consider your own questions – do you allow sufficient “wait” time? KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

  28. Bibliography Dean J [2001] Organising Learning in the Primary Classroom London: Routledge Falmer Hayes D [2004] Foundation of Primary Teaching Abingdon: David Fulton Hayes D [2006] Inspiring Primary Teaching Exeter: Learning Matters Jacques K and Hyland R [2007] Professional Studies Primary and Early Years Exeter: Learning Matters Kyriacou C 1998] Essential Teaching Skills Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Wragg E and Brown G [2001] Questioning in the Primary School London: Routledge KP Professional Practice 1 Semester 2 2010

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