The Art of Questioning

Introduction

“Good teaching is more a giving of right

questions than giving of right answers”

- Josef Albers (1888-1976)

Introduction

What
is
Question?
Introduction

Did you ever wonder why we ask

questions? We ask questions if we want to
find out something that is not known and
even with the things, we already have
knowledge of.
Even small kids ask questions out of
curiosity, over the many amazing things
they see and experience around them.
Uses of Questions:

1. Questions provide answers to our

curios mind, things that need
reasoning, things we do not
understand, and discovery of
something new.
Uses of Questions:

2. Questions make us reflect on the way

we deal with life and promote a better
understanding of why things happen the
way it should be.
Uses of Questions:

3. In the classroom: Questions are

considered instructional cues or stimuli that
convey to the students the content
elements to be learned and directions for
what they are to do and how to do it. It
should also play a central role in the
learning process.
What are the characteristics of
a good question?
A good question should be…..
■ Short, thought provoking, properly
directed
■ Unambiguous, relevant, related to the
objectives
■ Clearly stated, straight forward,
comprehensive, common vocabulary.
Characteristics of a Good Question
Characteristics of a Good Question
 What do we mean by
Questioning Techniques?
ACCORDING TO:
Socrates: Teaching is the art of asking questions.
Guy Claxton: Good learning starts with questions,
not answers.
Albert Einstein: In the middle of difficulty lies
opportunity. The important thing is not to stop
questioning.
Why is there a need to know
about Questioning Techniques?

■ Interaction – the most common form of

interaction between teachers and
students.

■ Challenge –provide motivation by

encouraging students to actively
participate in learning.
■ Influence - can cause integration of skills.

■ Progress - asking questions help teacher to

promote the level of the students.

■ Assessment – the teacher can assess the

effectiveness of her teaching.
Techniques of Questioning
Techniques of Questioning
Techniques in Handling Student
Questions
1. Distribute questions so that all,
including non-volunteers are involved.

2. Balance factual and provoking questions.

3. Ask both simple and challenging

questions so that the poorer students
may participate and the brighter
students may be extended.
Techniques in Handling Student
Questions
4. Encourage lengthy responses and
sustained answers.

5. Stimulate critical thinking by asking.

“How?”,
“To what extent?”,
“Under what circumstance?”,
“Why?”,
“Compare or (contrast)…”
Techniques in Handling Student
Questions
6. Allow time for thought. Wait until 4 to 5
students want to speak.

7. Be a model of exact phrasing and

coherent thinking.

8. Encourage students to comment on the

answers of classmates.
Techniques in Handling Student
Questions
9. Don’t drop too quickly a student who
seems unable to answer.

10. Use the overhead technique:

Question-Pause-Name

11. Ensure audibility, then refuse to repeat

the questions or answers. (But in large
classes, always repeat questions and
answers.)
Techniques in Handling Student
Questions
12. If a student ask a question, don’t
answer it until you’ve asked the class.

13. Personalized questions:

“ Pretend you are…what would you do?”

14. Suggest partnership by inquiring

“ How can we…?”
Levels of Questioning
Levels of Questioning

1. Knowledge: requires that the

students recognize or recall
information.

2. Comprehension: requires the

students to think on low level such
that the knowledge can be
reproduced or communicated
without a verbatim repetition.
Levels of Questioning

3. Application: requires the students to

solve or explain a problem by applying
what he or she has learned to other
situations and learning tasks.

4. Analysis: requires the students to

solve a problem through a systematic
examination of facts or information.
Levels of Questioning

5. Evaluation: requires the students to

make an assessment of good or not so
good according to some standards.

6. Synthesis: requires the students to

find a solution to a problem through the
use of original, creative thinking.
Levels of Questioning

Note:

Low Level Thinking Skills (LOTS)

are those in the knowledge and
comprehension level.

 High Level Thinking Skills (HOTS)

are those that go beyond the
comprehension level.
Purpose of Knowing and Using
Questioning Techniques:
■ To interest, engage and challenge LEARNERS

■ To check on prior knowledge and connect it to

a new topic

■ To stimulate, recall and use existing

knowledge and experience in order to create
new understanding and meaning
■ To focus thinking on key concepts and issues

■ To extend LEARNERS’ thinking from the

concrete and factual to the analytical and
evaluative

■ To lead LEARNERS through a planned

sequence which progressively establishes key
understanding
■ To promote reasoning, problem solving,
evaluation and the formulation of
hypotheses

■ To promote learning about the way they

have learned
 Types of Questions:
1. Factual Questions: used to get information
from the students and often test rote
memory.
2. Clarification Questions: intend to provide
clarity to both students and teachers.
3. Broadening or Extension Questions:
enlarge the existing theme, explore
implications of the response and can be
useful in opening up further
possibilities.
 Types of Questions:

4. Justifying Questions: probe for

assumptions and explore reasons for
particular answers.

5.Hypothetical Questions: used to explore

students’ understanding of complex situations
beyond the scope of a particular encounter by
creating hypothetical scenarios.
 Types of Questions:

6. Questions about Questions: probe for

reasons for the question that student ask the
teachers.

7. Redirected Questions: address the same

questions to several students and distribute
responsibility.
Effective Questioning should:

1. Reinforce and promote the learning

objectives
2. Include “staging Questions” to draw
learners towards key understanding or
to increase the level of challenge in a
lesson as it proceeds.
3. Involve all learners.
4. Engage learners in thinking for
themselves.
Effective Questioning should:

5. Promote justification and reasoning.

6. Create an atmosphere of trust where
learners’ opinions and ideas are valued.
7. Show connections between previous and
new learning.
8. Encourage learners to speculate and
hypothesize.
Effective Questioning should:

9. Encourage learners to ask as well as to

“receive” questions.

10. Encourage learners to listen and

respond to each other as well as to the
teacher.
Pitfalls of Questioning:

1. Asking many questions.

2. Asking questions answerable with a
simple yes or no answer.
3. Asking too many short-answer, recall
based questions.
4. Asking “bogus,” “What am I thinking”
questions.
Pitfalls of Questioning:

5. Starting all questions with the same stem.

6. Focusing on a small number of learners
and not involving the whole class.
7. Making a sequence of questions too rigid.
8. Not giving learners time to reflect, or to
pose their own questions.
Pitfalls of Questioning:

9. Dealing ineffectively with incorrect

answer.

10. Asking questions when another strategy

might be more better.
 Classifications of Questions:

1. Closed Questions: a closed question can

be answered with either a single word or a
short phrase. Thus: “How?” and “Why?”
A closed question can be answered with
either “Yes” or “No”.
 Classifications of Questions:

2. Chunking Questions: Chunking down is

getting more details by probing for more
information. The goal is to find out more,
fill in empty gaps in your picture, test the
reality of the situation.

Example: Why did it happen?

 Classifications of Questions:

3. Non-Leading Questions: Avoid complex language-

using big words that learners could not understand.

4. Double Bind Questions: which ever way you

answer the result is the same.

5. Echo Questions: repeat what they say as a question.

 Classifications of Questions:

6. Empowering Questions: that releases limits on people.

7. Funnel Questions: seeking more details or more information.

8. Group Questions: questions given to many people at one

time.
 Classifications of Questions:

9. Interrogative Questions: questions that lead to answers.

10. Leading Questions: that may or may not be a good

thing, you’re giving away the answer.

11. Open Questions: required long and detailed answers.

 Classifications of Questions:
12. Probing Questions: digging for more details.

13. Prodding Questions: specific questions for finding details.

14. Socratic Questioning: Socrates method of questioning to

elicit learning.
Educational Implications:
Insight:

“Good Questioning is a major determinant of the

success of teaching.”

Thank you and God bless!

Stay safe everyone.

Pilipina Florendo Dayao

Student
Methods of Teaching