Effective questioning techniques

Stoke Damerel Community College

Why?
We are going to look at:
1. Purpose & pitfalls of questioning
2. Different types of questions
3. Planning sequences of questions
4. Tactics
5. How to encourage the learner to
ask questions
6. Dealing with an answer
7. Plenary
1.) Purpose of questioning
 To interest, engage and challenge pupils.
 To check on prior knowledge and
understanding.
 To stimulate recall.
 To focus pupils’ thinking on key concepts
and issues.
 Inform teaching and promote pupils
thinking about what they have learnt.
 Encourage dialogue, discussion and
feedback
Pitfalls
 Asking too many questions at once.
 Asking a question and answering it
yourself.
 Asking questions only of the brightest or
most likeable pupils.
 Asking the same type of questions.
 Not giving pupils time to think.
 Not correcting wrong answers.
 Failing to build on pupils answers.
How can you become an effective
questioner?
 Know how to plan questioning in a lesson.
 Understand how questions engage pupils
and promote responses.
 Use the lesson’s learning objectives and
outcomes as a basis for key questions and
sub-questions.
 Learn classroom tactics you need to
become an effective questioner.
 Know the pitfalls to avoid.
 Know how to respond to answers so that
pupils are encouraged to participate.
Open Questions
Closed Questions
2.) Different types of questions
 Closed questions eg. ‘What is the grid
reference for Great Malvern?’
 Open questions eg. ‘Which of these four
sources were the most useful in helping
with this enquiry?’
 Lower order questions: Factual,
descriptive, easy questions
 Higher order questions: Sophisticated
thinking, harder questions
Turn closed questions into open
questions

Instead of asking… ask…

 Is this a polygon?  What are the

properties of a
polygon?
 Which foods are good  How do we know
for us? which foods are good
for us?
 What are the main  How does the
characteristics of language that
Romeo & Juliet? Shakespeare uses
shape the characters
in Romeo & Juliet?
Rich questions…..
 What?  How?
 Who?  Why?
 Where?
 When?

These questions tend to These questions interpret

elicit information the information
Effective questioning for
coaching/mentoring
 Clarifying questions – Do you mean? Could
you give me an example? Could you repeat that?
 Curiosity/interest questions – That’s
interesting can you tell me? What was that like?
 Elaborating questions – Could you tell me more
about that?
 Summarising questions – If I can
summarise…… It seems to me…… What you are
saying is….
 Reflecting questions – What I think you are
saying is…? Am I right in thinking…?

Adapted from Miles Downey’s 4 step active listening model

3.) Planning a sequence of questions using Bloom’s
Example of a sequence……

Evaluation
Was Goldilocks good or bad? Why?
Synthesis
Can you think of an alternative ending to the story?
Analysis
Which parts of the story could be true?
Application
What would have happened if Goldilocks had come to
your house?
Comprehension
Why did Goldilocks like Baby Bear’s bed best?
Recall/knowledge
Whose porridge was too sweet?
4.) Tactics for effective questioning
 Cues and prompts.
 Pausing to scan or survey.
 Wait time after a pupil response.
 No hands up questioning.
 Big questions.
 Using group discussion strategies
(collaboration).
 Creating a climate where pupils feel safe to
make mistakes.
 Probing – useful follow ups to seek more
information.
 Placing a minimum requirement on the answer.
 PQP – praise, questions and pose a solution
 Don’t ask the question – give the
answer and ask why it’s correct
This
i strategy
T forces pupils to think, invites them to share
their
i thinking
h and to give a more articulate answer
i i
Instead
s of asking… ask…

m
 Is this ea complex  Why is this a complex
sentence?
t sentence?
h
i
 What kind of film is  Why is Star Wars a
d
Star Wars? Science fiction film?

 Can 7/9 be simplified?  Why can 7/9 not be

simplified?
5.) How to encourage the learner to
ask questions:
 Model good learning behaviour – ask
questions yourself.
 Display key questions – Where? Why?
When? Who? What?
 Frame lessons in the form of questions.
 Have a ‘question wall’ or box.
 Give assessment marks for the quality of
the questions, not the answers.
 Students ask questions as a basis for
taking notes.
6.) Dealing with answers
 The answer is correct: Acknowledge and
indicate why it is a good answer or ask other
pupils what they think.
 The answer is incorrect: Consider simplifying
the question or provide a series of prompts to
encourage a better answer.
 If the answer is partly correct: Acknowledge
the parts which are correct and use prompts to
deal with the incorrect parts.
 If an answer is a result of speculation: Accept
all answers as being of equal worth then ask more
probing questions to find out which are morelikely
to be correct.
Levels of listening
Ignoring
Making no effort to listen

Pretend listening
Giving the impression you are listening

Selective listening
Hearing only parts of the conversation that are relevant

Attentive/active listening
Paying attention and focusing on what is being said

Empathetic listening
Listening and responding with both heart and mind to understand
words, intent and feelings
Active listening
1) Listen to what is being said and repeat
the content back.
2) Absorb what is being said and rephrase
it in your own words.
3) Acknowledge the feelings and show you
have empathy.
4) Summarise the issues and help the
other person to identify her/his own
solutions.
Adapted from Miles Downey’s 4 step active listening model
Next steps….
 Have a go at one or two of the
tactics
 Plan more questioning into lessons
 Maybe consider analysing the types
of questions you ask in lessons
 Ask more questions when
introducing the learning objectives