{"id":36075,"date":"2018-12-31T09:30:26","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T09:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?p=36075"},"modified":"2023-12-18T14:45:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T14:45:14","slug":"what-is-effective-questioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-effective-questioning\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Effective Questioning &#038; Why Should I Use it in My Classroom?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Asking questions is essential for checking pupil understanding and keeping them engaged with the task at hand. It&#8217;s crucial to the way students receive and process information and it encourages independent and critical thinking. Statistics show that <strong>the average teacher asks between 300 and 400 questions per day<\/strong>. To have the desired effect, these questions need to be effective, well-considered, and challenging.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>What is Effective Questioning and Why is it Useful?<\/h2>\n<p>Effective questioning involves using questions in the classroom to open conversations, inspire deeper intellectual thought, and promote student-to-student interaction. Effective questions focus on eliciting the process, i.e. the &#8216;how&#8217; and &#8216;why,&#8217; in a student&#8217;s response, as opposed to answers which just detail &#8216;what.&#8217; Using them in the classroom creates opportunities for students to analyse their own thinking, that of their peers, and their work.<\/p>\n<h4>Benefits of Effective Questioning<\/h4>\n<p>Using effective questioning in your classroom brings a host of benefits, as it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Encourages students to engage with their work and each other.<\/li>\n<li>Helps students to think out loud.<\/li>\n<li>Facilitates learning through active discussion.<\/li>\n<li>Empowers students to feel confident about their ideas.<\/li>\n<li>Improves speaking and listening skills.<\/li>\n<li>Builds critical thinking skills.<\/li>\n<li>Teaches respect for other people\u2019s opinions.<\/li>\n<li>Helps students to clarify their understanding.<\/li>\n<li>Motivates students and develops an interest of a topic.<\/li>\n<li>Allows teachers to check students\u2019 understanding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36095\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/class-ipads.jpg\" alt=\"Students on tablets in classroom\" width=\"685\" height=\"295\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Types of Questions in the Classroom<\/h2>\n<p>There are two main types of questions that are used in the classroom: closed questions and open questions.<\/p>\n<h4>Closed Questions<\/h4>\n<p>Closed questions are those that prompt a simple response, such as yes, no, or a short answer. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are you feeling better today?<\/li>\n<li>Does 6 plus 7 equal 13?<\/li>\n<li>Did Henry VIII have six wives?<\/li>\n<li>What is the periodic symbol for potassium?<\/li>\n<li>Who wrote Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet?<\/li>\n<li>When was the Battle of the Somme?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are many advantages to closed questions. They\u2019re quick and easy to respond to and generally reduce confusion. They\u2019re also particularly useful for challenging pupils\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/different-types-of-memory\/\">memory<\/a> and recalling facts.<\/p>\n<p>There are, however, also a number of disadvantages to using closed questions. Students may start to try and guess what you\u2019re thinking and give an answer based on that. They may also become anxious that they\u2019re going to get the answer wrong, which reduces their willingness to answer. Closed questions<strong> limit the child\u2019s opportunity to expand<\/strong> on an answer and provide reasoning or opinion.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/effective-q-older-students-compressed.jpg\" alt=\"gcse students discussing teacher's questions\" width=\"685\" height=\"295\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Open Questions<\/h4>\n<p>Open questions, on the other hand, are those that require a deeper level of thinking and often prompt a lengthier response. They ask students to think and reflect, provide opinions and feelings, and take control of the conversation. Examples of some open questions includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What did you think of the ending of Romeo and Juliet?<\/li>\n<li>What message was Shakespeare trying to portray through Macbeth\u2019s descent into insanity?<\/li>\n<li>How did you interpret the end of the film?<\/li>\n<li>Explain the importance of the Battle of the Somme.<\/li>\n<li>Describe the role of insulin in the body.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Open questions are advantageous because they <strong>enrich the learning experience<\/strong> by encouraging individual thinking. They also give you, as a teacher, the opportunity to check your pupils\u2019 understanding and knowledge, and assess their ability to apply this knowledge.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Tips &amp; Techniques for Asking Effective Questions in the Classroom<\/h2>\n<p>For questions to be productive, you need to implement them effectively. Here are some tips to do so:<\/p>\n<h4>Implement a no hands policy<\/h4>\n<p>Rather than having students volunteer to answer questions, you should offer the question to the entire class and then pick a pupil to answer. Make students aware of the fact they may be called upon so they can begin to think through and prepare their answer. If pupils are aware that you may select them, there\u2019ll be much higher levels of engagement.<\/p>\n<h4>Introduce a wait time<\/h4>\n<p>A wait time refers to the amount of time you wait from asking a question to when a student speaks. This time gives students time to think and rehearse their answers before speaking up. As a result, you\u2019ll see improvements in student retention, more considered and lengthier answers, and higher levels of student-to-student interaction. Students failing to respond will also decrease.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve the best results, try to <strong>wait three seconds and be patient<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h4>Plan ahead<\/h4>\n<p>When you\u2019re creating your lesson plans, consider what type of questions you want to ask. Plan which parts of content you want to ask about and when you\u2019re going to ask them, then write them down. This will help you to keep the lesson on track and achieve your desired learning outcomes.<\/p>\n<h4>Use a mix of questions<\/h4>\n<p>Open and closed questions are both beneficial for different purposes. While open questions give students the opportunity to provide detail and reasoning, closed questions are useful for quick fact checks and moving the lesson forward.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, you should vary your questions and use both open and closed questions depending on your reason for asking. For example, if you want to quickly check that a student has remembered a fact, ask a question like <em>\u201cLouise, who was the King of France when the Industrial Revolution began?\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Conversely, if you want a student to provide their thoughts on something, and initiate a class discussion on a certain topic, use an open question like <em>\u201cBen, what do you think the West Egg and East Egg signify in The Great Gatsby?\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Get pupils to ask questions<\/h4>\n<p>Using questions to check pupil understanding is always beneficial. However, getting students to ask each other questions is also incredibly beneficial. This gets all students involved and thinking: the students who ask questions will be thinking about what to ask, and those who are asked will have to formulate an answer.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36101\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/school-students-working.jpg\" alt=\"School students completing classwork\" width=\"685\" height=\"295\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Prepare follow-up questions<\/h4>\n<p>Prepare a good stock of follow-up questions that you can use if you want a student to expand on their answer. For example: \u201cWhat makes you think that?\u201d \u201cHow do you know that?\u201d and \u201cWhat if \u2026?\u201d. These extend responses and propose a deeper level of thinking. Furthermore, asking questions like \u201cHow did you reach that conclusion?\u201d makes students work through their decision-making process.<\/p>\n<h4>Get pupils to question themselves<\/h4>\n<p>At the beginning of a lesson, ask students in groups what they would like to learn more about or if there\u2019s any confusion they need you to clear up. This will help to stimulate their interest and allow you to assess what they already know about a topic. It will also get them to challenge their own thinking and consider what they know.<\/p>\n<h4>Don\u2019t dismiss answers<\/h4>\n<p>Every contribution is valuable, even if the answer isn\u2019t necessarily correct. Show appreciation for any answer and offer appropriate praise based on the quality of answer.<\/p>\n<p>If a student answers incorrectly, use a follow up question such as \u201cWhat made you think that?\u201d. This gives students the opportunity to think through their thought process and allows you to address any confusion.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Effective questioning is a great method for getting students to think critically and independently and for you to discover any misunderstandings. Once you start using it in your classroom, you&#8217;ll quickly notice the difference in engagement and will keep lessons productive and beneficial to all.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>What to Read Next:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wellbeing-in-schools-for-staff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Promoting Staff Wellbeing in Schools<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/work-experience-guidance-for-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Work Experience Guidance for Schools: Do I Need a Risk Assessment?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/marking-symbols-primary-school\/\">Marking Symbols: A Guide for Primary School Teachers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/motivation-in-education\/\">Understanding the Importance of Motivation in Education<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/resilience-in-children\/\">8 Ideas for Building Resilience in Children at School<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-effective-teaching\/\">What is Effective Teaching?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-adaptive-teaching\/\">What is Adaptive Teaching?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/metacognition-in-the-classroom\/\">Metacognition in the Classroom: Benefits &amp; Strategies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/communication-skills-for-teachers\/\">Effective Communication in the Classroom: Skills for Teachers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/courses\/education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Education Training Courses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Open questions are an example of effective questioning and asking them encourages your class to think more critically. Find examples &#038; tips here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":36245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[81,80],"class_list":["post-36075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safeguarding","tag-education","tag-teachers-and-parents"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.5 (Yoast SEO v19.12) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is Effective Questioning? | Techniques for the Classroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Open questions are an example of effective questioning and asking them can encourage your class to think more critically. 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