Unleashing curiosity: Harnessing

the power of questioning to

promote deeper thinking

Katherine Pickering, Teacher of Geography,

Humanities and Global perspectives
“Questioning is the art of learning. Learning to
ask important questions is the best evidence of
understanding there is, far surpassing the
temporary endorphins of a correct ‘answer’ ”

—Terry Heick, the Founder and Director of teachthought

 The figures

Teachers ask up to two questions every minute, up to

400 in a day and around 70,000 a year.

Questioning accounts for up to a third of all teaching

time, second only to the time devoted to explanation
Research suggests that
Most questions are answered in less than a second.
That’s the average time teachers allow between between 30-60% are
posing a question and accepting an answer, throwing procedural and 4-15%
it to someone else, or answering it themselves.
Higher order
TES
Why is questioning a crucial ‘need’ for our students?

Retention
Questioning makes links between concepts, thus revisiting prior knowledge

Adaptability and problem-solving

Students who are adept at asking the right questions can approach challenges with
a problem-solving mindset which facilitates innovation.

Curiosity
Instills a sense of curiosity (and enthusiasm)- essential for lifelong learner
 Discussion point- what are the
barriers to questioning?

“Questioning is not easy and may require a lot of reflection and perseverance, as well as a healthy
dose of humility. In order to ask a penetrating question, we first need to acknowledge our ignorance
of the answer. Questioning takes the familiar and makes it mysterious again, thus removing the
comfort of “knowing.”
1. Establishing a question-rich environment

1. Teach students the difference between questions.

Link to BT
2. Celebrate questions (the right ones)
3. Reflect and feedback on student questions
4. Present thought-provoking questions - starter
activities
5. Phrase simple questions open-ended and
higher-order rather than closed.
A question-rich teaching environment
6. Provide opportunities for anonymous questioning
is a classroom where both teachers
(post it notes, question box)
and students consistently ask
7. Encourage students who are unsure to answer
thoughtful, open-ended questions to
with their own questions
promote curiosity and critical
8. I wonder wall/Doc
thinking.
 2. Flipping Questioning - Class discussions

Encourage students to question each other during class discussions.

Provide students with prompt cards. This helps to ensure students are
asking the ‘right’ kinds of questions.

- Cut out and laminate

- Print and stick in books
- Provide an electronic copy
- Create a display
Example
https://mrsgeographyblog.wordpre
ss.com/2017/04/21/socratic-questi
oning/

Discussion point?

What could be the

potential difficulties
using this technique?

What are the benefits?

 2. Flipping Questioning- Role play/Experts
Question role play
- Provide a prompt
- Students take it in turns to
question each other
(encourage probing questions)
- Encourage students to ask for
clarification or to expand.
Example
Introduction: Begin with a brief overview of the rainforest ecosystem,
highlighting key components like flora, fauna, and ecological interactions.
Circle Formation: Arrange students in a circle, representing a range of roles
within the ecosystem (e.g., plants, animals, climate, humans).
Take Turns: Initiate the circle question time by having each student take
turns asking a question related to the rainforest ecosystem. For example:
"How do the different layers of the rainforest contribute to its
biodiversity?"
"What role do certain species play in maintaining the balance of the
ecosystem?"
"How do human activities impact the sustainability of the rainforest?"
3. Deeper questioning
What do you see? VS

What do you see? think?

wonder?
 3. Deeper questioning- See, think, wonder
Strategy 1: List existing knowledge and make inferences before posing questions.

I see

I think

I wonder

My deep question is
What can you see in this image?
 Carousel questioning

Justification

1. Starts with easier lower level and builds up the higher level
questions
2. Confidence
3. Anonymity (or not…)
Deeper Questioning - Question focus

1: Write a list of as many questions as you can in ____

minutes.

2. Categorise questions as closed or open

3. Change questions from closed to open

4. Prioritise questions

This method works well for a variety of activities

and can be used as a starting point for an enquiry
or an introduction to a topic Strategy adapted from therightquestion.org
Deeper Questioning - Socratic Questions
Explanation
Lead students to discover answers
on their own by guiding them in
examining assumptions reasoning
and evidence. Essentially, provide
questions rather than answers and
information.
Enquiry- based learning.
Steps to follow
1 Statement/concept/question
2 Encourage exploration
3 Ask follow up questions
4 Facilitate discussion
5 Draw connections
6 Summarise key points
7 Reflect and what’s next?
How can eating a burger have global effects? 1 Statement/concept/question

2 Encourage exploration

3 Ask follow up questions

4 Facilitate discussion

5 Draw connections

6 Summarise key points

7 Reflect and what’s next?

- Provide differentiated
material
- Set ground rules for research
(use of devices etc)
- Set up as a fun ‘inquiry’
Climate detectives,
Undercover reporters etc
 “The right question
is usually more
Thank you
important than the
right answer” Any Questions?!

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