Questioning and Discussion

Questioning and Discussion
Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

TFP 3013/3023, FST UPSI
Questioning
 One way in which a teacher helps
students to obtain a sense of
direction and to use their minds.
 Inquiry-oriented teachers seldom
tell but often question.

Classifying Questions
 Questions can be classified
according to Bloom’s
taxanomy, the science
processes or whether they are
convergent or divergent

Classifying questions according to
Bloom’s taxanomy
A sample of knowledge question:
State Newton’s first law
 A sample of application question:
Using Newton’s first law, draw in
the direction of motion of the
object after receiving a push to
the right.
Classifying questions according to
science processes
A sample of observing question:
What happen to the passengers when
the bus brakes suddenly?
A sample of hypothesizing question:

Which object will reach the ground
first when dropped from the roof?
Convergent and divergent
questions
 Convergent questions allow limited
number of responses and move
students toward forming a conclusion.
 Divergent questions allow for wider
number of responses which are more
creative and critically considered.

Convergent & Divergent Questions
 Convergent question:
What are the factors that affect
the frequency of a pendulum?
 Divergent question:
What have you found out about
the pendulum?

Tips on questioning to promote
discussion
 Avoid convergent questions as they provide
little opportunity to think critically, but use
them when there is a need to keep the class
alert. Getting the appropriate balance is the
key to successful questioning.
 Getting students to experience the process of
thinking critically is perhaps more important
than getting a right answer from them.

discussion - continue
 Use longer wait-time, i.e., wait around
5 seconds, on the average, before
accepting responses.
 Try to avoid back-and-forth
interchange between teacher and
students in which the teacher is the
only questioner and the student is the
respondent.
 Restate the responses that interprets what
the students have said, thus giving
opportunity for other students to
reconsider the information.
 Declare your perplexity when you are
confused by what the students has said,
e.g. by saying, “I am confused about what
you are saying”.

 Inviteelaboration of responses,
such as saying “I’d like to hear
more of your views on that”.
 Direct students’ questions to other
students or whoever is asking the
question in the first place.

 Maintain silence or use longer
wait-time to relay the message
that it is important you hear what
the students have to say, thereby
providing opportunity for
reflection, and thoughtful
answers.
 Provide recognition to students
answers, as far as possible use
positive reinforcement.
 When questions arise for which
science does not yet provide an
adequate explanation, state that, as
yet, there is no answer. This provide
insight into avenues of research which
needs exploring.
 Encourage the entire class to take
notes.
 Avoid the appearance of carrying on a
private conversation with the student
who asked the question.
 Ask a student to speak up so that the
entire class can hear an answer or a
question.
What research has to say?
 Questioning is regarded as an essential
and influential instructional behaviour.
 It can also be regarded as a learning
strategy:
Questions in text material provide advance
organizers for the material to be learned,
produce better understanding and
retention.

What research has to say -
continue
 Teachers ask factual , recall-type
convergent questions more than
divergent questions requiring higher
order thinking skills (60-80%).
 Cognitive levels of questions asked
by teachers and responses from
students tend to be positively related.

What research has to say -
continue
 The extent of wait-time
dramatically influences the quality
of students’ responses.
 Female students have fewer
interactions with science teachers
and receive less attention than
males.

Questioning and Discussion - Lecture 8

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Questioning and Discussion - Lecture 8

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Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

A sample of hypothesizing question:

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

Dr Nurulhuda Abd Rahman

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