EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING

By: Francie Estro &

Jonnecia Alford

CREATING AN ACCEPTING ATMOSPHERE Ask for questions Answer questions Answer students questions adequately

Listen to the question, or to any student comments

Do not put down the students!!!!

TECHNIQUES OF EFFECTIVE QUESTIONINGS Establish an

appropriate environment

Create a climate conducive to learning

Prepare the students for the questioning session and discussion

Use both pre-planned and emerging questions

Use an appropriate variety and mix of questions

Avoid trick questions and those that require only a YES or NO response.

Phrase the questions carefully, concisely, and clearly.

Address questions to the group, versus the individual.

Select both volunteers and non-volunteers to answer questions.

TECHNIQUES OF EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING CON’T Adapt questions to

the needs of the learners

Use sufficient wait time

Respond to answers given by students

Use questions to identify learning objectives for follow-up self-study

Found at: http://www.uab.edu/uasomume/cdm/questioning.htm

ELICIT LONGER, MORE MEANINGFUL AND FREQUENT RESPONSES FROM STUDENT AFTER AN INITIAL RESPONSE BY:

Maintaining a deliberate silence Making a declarative statement Making a reflective statement giving a

sense of what the students said Declaring perplexity over the response Inviting elaboration Encouraging other students to comment

Found at: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/effquest.htm

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WHEN ASKED A QUESTION OTHER THAN DIRECTLY ANSWERING IT? Repeat the question, paraphrasing

it Redirect the question Ask probing questions Promote a discussion among the

students

9 TYPES OF TEACHER QUESTIONS

Found from the chart on page 37 Of Connecting Mathematical Ideas

GATHERING INFORMATION, CHECKING FOR A METHOD, LEADING STUDENTS THROUGH A METHOD: Wants direct answer, usually wrong or

right Rehearses known facts or procedures Enables students to state facts or

procedures

Example Questions: How would you divide ¾ by ½?What is the first thing we have to do in this

equation?

INSERTING TERMINOLOGY Once ideas are under discussion,

enables correct mathematical language to be used to talk about them

Example Questions:What is this called in mathematics?How would we write this correctly

mathematically?

EXPLORING MATHEMATICAL MEANING AND RELATIONSHIPS Points to underlying mathematical

relationships and meanings Makes links between mathematical

ideas

Example Questions:Where would x be on a diagram?What does the word probability mean?

PROBING Clarifies student thinking Enables students to elaborate their thinking for their own benefit and for the

class.

Example Questions: Can you explain your idea a little more? How did you get that answer?

Types of probing questions: Extension

Require students to elaborate on the response given to an earlier question. Such questions indicate to the learner that the original response was in the right direction but was not adequate.

Clarification Useful when the student’s response is unclear or incomplete.

Justification Require the learner to provide rationale for the previously-given response. Useful in

providing insights into thinking and reasoning processes of students and revealing errors in these processes.

Prompting Useful when students do not respond to the original question

Redirection Used to elicit a variety of opinions during problem-solving sessions or discussions.

GENERATING DISCUSSION Enables other members of class to

contribute and comment on ideas under discussion

Example Questions:Does anyone have any other ideas on how

to solve this problem?What did you think, Jennifer?

LINKING AND APPLYING Points to relationships among

mathematical ideas and mathematics and other areas of study or life

Example Questions:When have you used this outside of the

classroom? In what other situations could you apply

this?

EXTENDING THINKING Extends the situation under discussion,

where similar idea may be used

Example Questions:Would this method work if we changed the

size of the circle?Would this work with different numbers?

ORIENTING AND FOCUSING Helps students focus on key elements or

aspects of the situation in order to enable problem solving

Example Questions:What is the problem asking you?What is important about this?

ESTABLISHING CONTEXT Talks about issues outside of math in

order to enable links to be made with mathematics at later points

Example Questions:What is the lottery?How old do you have to be to play the

lottery?Do you consider this to be gambling?

THINGS TO AVOID WHILE ASKING QUESTIONS: Asking multiple questions that leave the

learner wondering what to answer first. When a learner does not answer your

open question, it is tempting to provide the answer yourself. Resist the temptation. Rephrase your question instead.

If you start a conversation with a series of closed questions, you could be setting expectations that you will do all the thinking and talking.

EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING

BRINGS INSIGHT, WHICH FUELS

CURIOSITY, WHICH CULTIVATES WISDOM.

- CHIP BELL