'TeachAZ

Clarifying and Probing Questions

What are some examples of "clarifying questions"?

Clarifying questions are simple questions of fact. Their purpose is to clarify the issue at hand so that
the group can then ask good probing questions. In general, if the presenter has to think before
responding, it's not a clarifying question, but rather a probing question. Examples of clarifying
questions include:
• What happened after... ?
• What happened before... ?
• When did... ?
• How many... ?
• How did ___ respond... ?
• What did you say when ... ?
• What did you do when ... ?
• How much time did it take to ... ?

What are some examples of "probing questions"?

Probing questions are meant to provoke deeper reflection and analysis. A few thingtto keep in
mind:
• Before you ask a probing question, check to see if you have a "right" answer in mind. If so,
delete the judgment from the question or don't ask it.
• Probing questions are NOT recommendations. Avoid questions like "Don't you think you
should... ?"

Probing questions typically do not have simple "yes" or "no" or single-word answers. Some
examples include:
• What were you thinking when ... ?
• Why ... ?
• Why do you think this is the case?
• What would have to change in order for... ?
• What would it look like if .. ?
• How did you decide ... ?
• How do you think this looked from _ _ _ 's perspective?
• When _ _ _ happened, what were you thinking/feeling?
• What do you fear/want/assume/expect?
• How might your assumptions about... have influenced your thinking about...?