Improving the quality of talk Improving the quality of talk and questioning to support and questioning to support pupil learningpupil learning

Key issue addressed by the studyKey issue addressed by the study

This research was designed to: This research was designed to: – help teachers understand how they might improve help teachers understand how they might improve

their questioning skillstheir questioning skills– involve pupils more in lessonsinvolve pupils more in lessons– use talk to develop pupils’ thinking and understandinguse talk to develop pupils’ thinking and understanding

How did teachers and pupils interact in How did teachers and pupils interact in whole class teaching?whole class teaching?

The dominant interaction The dominant interaction pattern was teacher-child-pattern was teacher-child-teacher-childteacher-child

Questions with Questions with predetermined answers predetermined answers meant teachers missed meant teachers missed opportunities for supporting opportunities for supporting learning through helping learning through helping pupils to make connections pupils to make connections between what they already between what they already knew and new ideasknew and new ideas

How could teachers use talk to extend How could teachers use talk to extend the children’s thinking?the children’s thinking? Generating and extending pupil thinking requires Generating and extending pupil thinking requires

sensitive shaping of the classroom dialogue and sensitive shaping of the classroom dialogue and sensitive listening to pupils’ responses sensitive listening to pupils’ responses

How did teachers generate and extend How did teachers generate and extend pupil thinking?pupil thinking? They planned the They planned the

first question in a first question in a sequence carefullysequence carefully

But considered But considered how subsequent how subsequent questioning might questioning might extend and support extend and support learning and learning and understanding understanding

Example of teachers’ extending Example of teachers’ extending children’s thinkingchildren’s thinking

Using a simple strategy of enquiring about Using a simple strategy of enquiring about possible reasons, the teacher elicited a more possible reasons, the teacher elicited a more extended response to a question about why a extended response to a question about why a boy hit his brother boy hit his brother

Example of teacher extending Example of teacher extending children’s thinkingchildren’s thinking Teacher: Teacher: Why do you do it?Why do you do it? Child: Child: I don’t knowI don’t know Teacher: Teacher: Did you do it to hurt him? Had he made you cross?Did you do it to hurt him? Had he made you cross? Child: Child: No he kept bugging me so he was walking along the No he kept bugging me so he was walking along the

garden and I lobbed it and it just bounced off the top of his garden and I lobbed it and it just bounced off the top of his headhead. .

Which pupils were most involved during Which pupils were most involved during whole class teaching?:whole class teaching?:

High achievers, especially High achievers, especially girls, put their hands up girls, put their hands up and joined in collective and joined in collective responsesresponses

Low achievers and boys Low achievers and boys were more likely to be off were more likely to be off tasktask

Strategies for maximising participation Strategies for maximising participation of all pupils:of all pupils:

Teachers can increase all Teachers can increase all pupils’ involvement through:pupils’ involvement through:

- a ‘no hands up policy’a ‘no hands up policy’- inviting children to draw inviting children to draw

and reflect on personal and reflect on personal experiences experiences

Who were the children in the study?Who were the children in the study?

The researchers observed Year 2 pupils from The researchers observed Year 2 pupils from three first schools and Year 6 pupils from three three first schools and Year 6 pupils from three primary schoolsprimary schools

How was the information gathered?How was the information gathered?

The researchers videoed 15 minute teaching The researchers videoed 15 minute teaching episodes during literacy, numeracy and one episodes during literacy, numeracy and one other curriculum areaother curriculum area

Other data were also collected:Other data were also collected:– observations of sample pupils using structured observations of sample pupils using structured

schedules to capture verbal and non-verbal schedules to capture verbal and non-verbal responsesresponses

– teacher reflections using video as promptteacher reflections using video as prompt– notes made by researchers recording factors such as notes made by researchers recording factors such as

friendships and classroom interruptions friendships and classroom interruptions

The video recordings captured:The video recordings captured:

The teacher’s talkThe teacher’s talk

The pupils’ responsesThe pupils’ responses

The pupils’ non-verbal interactionsThe pupils’ non-verbal interactions

How can teachers use the evidence in How can teachers use the evidence in this study?this study? The study found that it was effective to plan The study found that it was effective to plan

questions without predetermined answers. questions without predetermined answers.

– You might want to ask a colleague to observe your You might want to ask a colleague to observe your whole class teaching session to note the types of whole class teaching session to note the types of questions you ask and their impact on the quality of questions you ask and their impact on the quality of pupils’ answers.pupils’ answers.

– Could you include key questions in your lesson Could you include key questions in your lesson planning, along with prompts you could use to extend planning, along with prompts you could use to extend pupils’ answers?pupils’ answers?

How can school leaders use the How can school leaders use the evidence in this study?evidence in this study?

The study found that the key point about helping The study found that the key point about helping colleagues to develop their questioning skills colleagues to develop their questioning skills was to improve the quality of the dialoguewas to improve the quality of the dialogue

Could you encourage your staff to practice their Could you encourage your staff to practice their questioning skills by taking part in role plays with questioning skills by taking part in role plays with each other or discussing and reflecting on video each other or discussing and reflecting on video recordings of classroom episodes?recordings of classroom episodes?

Follow-up readingFollow-up reading

Study reference: Myhill, D. (2006) TStudy reference: Myhill, D. (2006) Talk,talk,talk: alk,talk,talk: Teaching and learning in whole class discourse Teaching and learning in whole class discourse Research Papers in Education Research Papers in Education Vol. 21, No. 1 pp. Vol. 21, No. 1 pp. 19-4119-41

Summary available at: Summary available at: http://www.tla.ac.uk/site/SiteAssets/RfT1/06RE033%20Effective%20talk%20in%20the%20primary%20classroom.pdf