Different Questioning types in the classroom

Closed end questions

We have discussed different questioning strategies in “Development of

Questioning Skill of the Teacher”. In that lecture, we have discussed different
scenario to ask the questions and bring the attention of the students. This closed
end questions are popular as icebreaker questions in group situations because
they’re easy to answer. Of course, most questions can be opened up for further
discussion, including closed questions

There are many advantages to closed questions. They’re quick and easy to
respond to and generally reduce confusion. They’re also particularly useful for
challenging pupils’ memory and recalling facts.

There are, however, also a number of disadvantages to using closed questions.

Students may start to try and guess what you’re thinking and give an answer
based on that. They may also become anxious that they’re going to get the
answer wrong, which reduces their willingness to answer. But end-up with
closed end questions, the teacher has to start other type of questioning with
closed end questions.

Useful for: warming up group discussions, getting a quick answer

Open end questions

Open-ended questions require a little more thought and generally encourage

wider discussion and elaboration. They can’t be answered with a simple yes or
no response.

Useful for: critical or creative discussion, finding out more information about a
concept or lesson
Probing questions

These questions are useful for gaining clarification and encouraging others to
tell you more information about a subject. Probing questions are usually a
series of questions that dig deeper and provide a fuller picture.

When a teacher wishes to start the new lesson, the teacher start with
questions and at one point the student not able to tell the answers then the
teacher introduce the new lesson. This kind of question and bring the students
at one point and introducing the concepts / lesson motivate the student to
listen the class.

Leading questions

Leading questions help the teacher to identify the exact difficulty in

understanding the concepts. Some time, the students do not know what is the
exact solution to solve the given problem in their subject. This also happened
during the project phase of the students, or mini projects. In this scenario, the
faculty member has to start with basic questions and keep-on move to next
question based on their answers and provide solution to them.

Useful for: building positive discussions in the classroom, steering a discussion

towards an outcome that serves your interest

It’s important to use leading questions carefully; they can be seen as an unfair
way of getting the answer you want.

Loaded questions
Loaded questions are seemingly straightforward, closed questions — with a
twist: they contain an assumption about the respondent. They’re popularly used
by examiner during viva-voce of laboratory or project to trick their interviewee
or student to get the fundamental concept of the lab or project they would
otherwise be unwilling to disclose.

For example, the question: ‘have you stopped copying the answers from the
nearby students?’ assumes the respondent copied more than once. Whether
the student answers yes or no, the student will admit to having copied the
answer at some point.

Of course, the preferred response would be: ‘I have never copied answers in my
examination’ But it’s not always easy to spot the trap. These questions are quite
rightly seen as manipulative.

Useful for: discovering facts about someone who would otherwise be reluctant
to offer up the information

Funnel questions

When a faculty member wish to start with a generalized discussion and get the
concepts in detail then funnel questions are more suitable. This funnel questions
very much necessary while refresh the concepts before exams or practical.

Beginning with a broad question before refining in on specific concept — is often

used when questioning witnesses to gain the maximum amount of information
about lesson or concept.

Funnel questions can also be used to bring the students in the relaxed attention
mode: asking students to go into detail about their difficulties in learning or
listening distracts them from their anxiety and gives the information that the
faculty member need to provide them a solution, which in turn calms them
down and makes them think something positive is being done to help them.

Recall and process questions

To start with preparative assessment, the recall questions are very much useful
for the faculty members. Recall questions require the student to remember the
lesson which taught in the earlier class. For example, the faculty members wish
to start the class, before the faculty member wish to connect the previous class
concept and make the students to remember the earlier class, then recall
questions are suitable to start the session. This kind of question is also used to
the student who is not listening the class and bring back the attention with
simple recall questions.

Rhetorical questions

The rhetorical questions are make the students to always remember the
concept or formulae or statement. Rhetorical questions are asked to keep the
students engaged in the class by remembering the lesson. It also helps student
to think, be creative and come up with ideas.

Sometime, when a faculty member gives a webinar or lecture to a big group of

audience then rhetorical questions make the audience engaged in the lecture.
In fact, the polling questions are gives more engagement during the session
while online classes. Those polling questions are help to keep the attention
thread of the audience.