The Art of Questioning

One of the teaching tools conveniently

placed in the hands of the teacher is the question. And yet, too many teachers either use it carelessly or fail to see its possibilities for promoting effective learning. Even with the teaching formula of Assign, Study, Recite, Test of the traditional school. The ability to ask questions was a necessary art. The fact, the traditional classroom at all levels was dominated by activities of the questionand-answer type.

Categories of Questions
Knowledge (who, what, whom, where, why, how)
Comprehension (retell) Analysis
(What are the parts of.... ? features of....? Classify according to....)

Application (How is.... an example of....? How is.... related to.....? Why is....
significant....?)

Synthesis (What would infer from? What ideas can you add to? How would
you design a new....? What would happen if you combine...?)

Evaluation (Do you agree that...? What do you think about...? What is the
most important.....? Place the ff. in order of priority. How would you decide about...? What criteria do you need to use to assess....?)

Uses of Questions

To stimulate pupils to think To motivate pupils To diagnose pupils difficulties To discover pupils interest To help pupils organize and evaluate To aid pupils to relate pertinent experiences to the lesson To focus pupils attention To develop new appreciation and attitudes To provide drill or practice To show relationships such as cause and effect To encourage the application of concept

Types of Questions According to Purpose

For assessing cognition

For verification For creative thinking

For evaluating
For productive thinking For motivating For instructing

Types of Questions According to Level

Low level
High level Convergent

Divergent

Characteristics of Good Questions

brief, clear, and unequivocal not be lifted from the book suited to the age, experience, and ability of the student deal with only one idea vary in difficulty applicable to all students thought-provoking and challenging are not self-answering relevant to the lesson under discussion in good grammatical form

Questioning Skills and Conduct of Good Questioning

Varying type of questions

Ask questions in conversational tone Asking non-directed questions

Calling on non-volunteers
Students should not be called in fixed order Allowing for sufficient wait time Courtesy between the teacher and his students should

prevail during the questioning session

Handling Students Response

Show appreciation for any answer Wrong answers should never be allowed to go uncorrected Giving appropriate praise for high quality responses Following up a students response with related questions Answering in chorus should not be allowed by the teacher Student should recite to the whole class, not to the teacher Students should be encouraged to observe correct grammar and answer in complete sentence Showing non-verbal encouragement Refrain from marking the student in the record book during class recitation

Handling Students Questions

Teacher should be glad to welcome questions Irrelevant and inane questions should not be entertained Questions should be thrown first to the whole class for an

answer or discussion Questions should be in correct grammar or in good language The teacher should honestly admit if he does not know the answer to a question Very shy students should be encouraged to write their questions anonymously and give them to the teacher Allot appropriate time slot for open questioning

Sequence of Questions
Easy
Normal Typical Common Ordinary Difficult