UNIT V

Effective Questioning and Reacting Techniques

"Children go to school as question marks and leave school as periods." Neil Postman
Learning Outcome:
• Demonstrate effective questioning and reacting techniques

Focus Question:

• For a highly interactive classroom, what are the various types of questions asked?
• What are some questioning skills that teachers should develop to generate interaction?
• How can a teacher improve his/her questioning skills?
• What are some effective reacting techniques?

Introduction
The proceedings in a Science class were tape recorded. T It was observed that in the forty-minute
lesson the teacher asked 29 questions, all of which are of the "what" type. Maybe they were all answered.
They were merely simple recall questions. But has the teacher helped develop the pupils' thinking skills?
The kind of questions we ask determines the level of thinking we develop. Low level questions
demand low level responses. They require responses of the simple recall or memory type of answers.
Examples: What was the temperature range yesterday? What insect transmits dengue fever? What part of a
plant serves as its factory? High level questions call for higher-order thinking ability. "Why" and "how"
questions require analysis of observations. The conclusion is arrived at after weighing evidence or
establishing a pattern out of a recorded tabulation of data. Examples: Why does temperature continue to
rise from early morning till about noontime? How does the hydrologic cycle occur? A question is taken as
a request for information. It is simply an inquiry about taken as a request for information. It is simply an
inquiry about something. In teaching, it takes the form of a problem at the start of an investigation or a
query about a current issue such as time or classroom management. It is a statement that demands an
explanation, a purpose or an argument. A daily lesson is seldom without even a single question. It is the
question, stated in any form that unlocks thinking. Hence, it is integral in the teaching practice.
Types of Questions according to Purpose
The kind of questions we ask varies according to purpose. Here are some:
For Assessing Cognition
This type of questions is used to determine one's knowledge in understanding. They promote high
level thinking. Divergent questions and open-ended inquiries call for analysis and evaluation. Example:
What is likely to happen if the ozone layer of the atmosphere continues to deteriorate? Why is sound heard
louder when underwater than out of it?
For Verification
It determines the exactness or accuracy of the results of an activity or performance. Example: Was
the weight of liquid displaced exactly the same as the weight of the object immersed in it? Why is lightning
seen before thunder is heard?
For Creative Thinking
It probes into one's originality. Example: How will you present the layers of the earth to your class?
Simulate the eruption of Mt. Mayon. The question may ask for pupils' own ideas or new ways of doing
things. Example: How can you demonstrate soil-less gardening?
For Evaluating
It elicits responses that include judgments, value and choice. It also asks personal opinions about
an event, a policy or a person. Example: Was your teacher's slide presentation well done?
For Productive Thinking
It includes cognitive reasoning. It analyses facts, recognizes patterns or trends and invokes memory
and recall. Example: Why was our fourth Secretary of the Department of Agriculture successful with the
small landowners? How can we apply the Law of Conservation of Energy?
For Motivating
Before discussing the lesson, a number of questions about the topic can serve to arouse their interest
and focus attention. It attempts to put students in the right mood. Example: Would you like to know how
your favorite flower can remain fresh longer? Did you ever train a pet?
For Instructing
The question asks for useful information. It directs, guides and advises on what and how to do an
activity. Example: What are the steps in performing an experiment?

Types of Questions according to Level / Answer

As to level, questions can either be low or high level.
Low level questions
They include memory questions or those that require simple recall. Examples: Define energy. State
the first law of motion.
High level questions
These questions call for a respondent's ability to analyze, evaluate and solve problems. Examples:
What is the relationship between the distance of a planet and its period of revolution? Why does temperature
rise towards noontime?
Convergent Questions
They are questions that require a single predictable answer. Examples are those that call for: 1.)
defining, 2.) stating, 3.) interpreting and 4.) summarizing. Examples: When does lunar eclipse occur?
Divergent Questions
They require the respondents to think in "different directions", to think of alternative actions or to
arrive at own decision. There are several possible answers. Example: Why are you voting for him? What
will happen if you leave it under direct sunlight for a week?
Questioning Skills
Class interaction is dependent on your questioning skills. What skills should you acquire to generate
interaction among your students? They are:
1. Varying types of question. Ask convergent, divergent and evaluative questions. Convergent questions
have only one acceptable correct answer. An example is "What is the process of food manufacture that
takes place in plants called?" Divergent questions are open and may have more than one acceptable
answer. Example: "How can the government most effectively enforce laws against water pollution?"
An evaluative question requires judgment concerning the subject of focus. Example: What is your
evaluation of our manner of election in the country?
2. Asking non-directed questions. Pose the question first, then call on a student to answer. Don't direct
your question to just one student. Direct the question to all.
3. Calling on non-volunteers. Don't just call on those who raise their hands.
4. Rephrasing. If you sense a question was not understood, simplify it or ask it in another way.
5. Sequencing logically. It is asking related questions from simple to complex one after another.
6. Requiring abstract thinking. This means going beyond simple recall questions. Examples of questions
that require abstract thinking is "What meaning can you derive from the data presented in the graph?
What generalization can you draw from the data presented?
7. Asking open-ended questions. This means asking divergent questions to develop higher-order-thinking
skills.
8. Allowing for sufficient wait time. Wait time refers to the pause needed by the teacher after asking a
question. This is the time when she waits for an answer. A number of things to consider are: a) the level
of difficulty of the question, b) the type of response required, c) the background knowledge of the
respondents and d) the intellectual ability of the respondents.
An average of 2 to 5 seconds is sufficient for "what" questions and about 5 to 10 seconds for "why"
and "how" questions.
Usually, there is a need to revise or improve the question if it proves difficult at the moment. This
is a second wait time. A longer pause would encourage the students to continue thinking. In most cases,
they are able to think of the best answer. The follow-up questions can lead to extended ideas instead of short
memory questions.
Providing sufficient wait time can achieve the following:

• Motivates slow thinking students to respond

• Improves the quality of the responses made
• Decreases the amount of guessing or wrong inferences
• Increases the number of correct responses
 • Leads the teacher to vary his/her questions
• Provides time for the teachers to evaluate the answers given.
• Encourages the students to ask their own questions. Gives students enough time to think about the
answers.
9. Assessing comprehension. Ask questions to test comprehension. Now and then, find out if your students
are with you.
10. Involving as many as possible. Distribute your questions to as many students. Widen participation. Don't
just call on students who raise their hands. By their facial expressions, you can sense who among your
students would like to recite.

How to Improve Questioning Techniques

The following are some points to consider to improve one's questioning technique.
1. Know your own style of questioning
2. Request a colleague to critique your own style as to:
a) kind of questions often asked, b) amount of wait-time provided and c) the type of responses required.
Knowing your errors in questioning would make it easy to effect the necessary changes. Too many
"what" questions will be avoided.
3. Increase your own repertoire of types of questions. Training in employing divergent, high-level and open-
ended questions improves your questioning technique. Fully aware of the instructional objectives set for a
particular lesson, you would be able to frame more interesting and thought-provoking questions rather than
the memory type.
4. Consider the individual abilities and interests of the students. Experiencing success in giving correct
answers promotes a feeling of confidence among them. Select the brighter ones to respond to high-level
questions. An approving nod, a smile or a praise for an answer given will encourage them to volunteer own
ideas.
5. Spend time reflecting on the type of questions you ask. Improve on them.

How To Encourage Questions from Students

Children are by nature curious. They ask questions about almost anything they see and hear around
them. They ask casual, intelligent and even funny questions. Neil Postman said, "They come to school as
question marks" but unfortunately "leave school as periods".
The teacher's reaction to their inquisitiveness can motivate or discourage them from asking more
questions. Some may give honest answers, others may instantly stop them from attempting to ask more.
How can we encourage children to ask questions? Here are some tips:
1. The teacher's questioning technique is the key in encouraging students to ask correct, relevant and high
level questions. Her questions can serve as good examples.
2. Attend to their questions. Avoid dismissing irrelevant questions. Assist in clarifying or refocusing in
order to solicit correct responses.
3. Praise the correctly formulated questions. It develops confidence and makes knowledge search easy
and satisfying.
4. Allot an appropriate time slot for open questioning. This will encourage the slow thinkers to participate
freely.

Handling Pupils' Response

Sometimes we, teachers, take our reaction to our student's response for granted. We forget how
crucial this part of teaching is. By the way we handle our students' responses, we either encourage or
discourage them from actively participating in class interaction. The following techniques can help:
1. Providing feedback on the correctness or incorrectness of a response
In providing corrective feedback:

• Remember that the reaction "That's wrong" can put off or embarrass a learner. Be more tactful.
• Give a hint or break down the question if necessary, to guide the learner to the correct response.
• Explain the correct answer when the learners cannot arrive at it.
• Initially ask easy questions to enhance the student's (particularly a slow one's) self-confidence and
to encourage active participation from everyone.
2. Giving appropriate praise to high quality responses
In giving appropriate praise:

• Match praise to the level of difficulty of the question answered or to the quality of the response
given.
• Vary acceptance reactions. As someone said, there are 99 ways of saying "okay".
• Remember that a slow/insecure learner needs more praise than a fast/confident one. Be discreet,
lest the faster ones think that praise is only for the slow learners.
3. Making follow-up questions
In making follow-up questions:

• Remember that follow-up questions should logically relate to the preceding questions and/or the
learners' response.
• Follow-up questions should be characteristically developmental and directed towards a
better/deeper understanding of the topic being discussed.
• Clearly-stated, short follow-up questions elicit better responses from the students.
4. Redirecting questions

• Certain questions deserve to be answered by more than one learner. Take advantage of this
opportunity to promote creative or divergent thinking.
• Some students need a re-formulation of the question for better understanding. Be sensitive and
accommodating to such need.
5. Following-up a student's response with related questions
In explaining the question/answer:

• Slowly repeating or replacing certain words in a question may be the way to enable a student to
give the correct answer.
 • On the other hand, other students may need to understand better an accepted (learner's) response to
a question. The students can feel the teacher's interest in them when their needs communicated
directly or through non-verbal behavior are accommodated.

6. Rephrasing the seemingly unclear question

• Rephrase unclear questions by using terms or idioms familiar to the student.

• Avoid long and complicated sentence structures in asking questions.
7. Showing non-verbal encouragement In showing nonverbal encouragement:

• Cultivate the habit of conveying positive meanings through your body language. Body language,
particularly a teacher's facial expression, during recitation communicates a message of
encouragement or otherwise to students.
• Eye-to-eye contact, a smiling face, and an encouraging hand gesture remove fear of embarrassment
from the students.
8. Encouraging learners to ask questions

• Watch out for students who seem to have problems (via nonverbal indicators) about certain
responses. Encourage them to bring out their questions. Create a communication climate which
encourages pupils to provide additional information or give comments that can add to
understanding.

SUMMARY
Questioning and Reacting Techniques
How much and what kind of interaction take place in class is determined by the teacher's
questioning and reacting techniques. The types of question vary as to purpose, level of thinking involved
or type of answer expected.
Questioning skills proven to be highly effective include: 1) rephrasing, 2) sequencing logically, 3)
requiring abstract thinking, 4) asking open-ended questions, 5) varying types of question, 6) asking non-
directed question, 7) calling on non-volunteers, 8) allowing for sufficient wait time, 9) assessing
comprehension and 10) involving as many as possible.
A teacher can enhance his/her questioning techniques by reflecting on and studying his/her type of
questions and being open to constructive criticism from colleagues.
Class interaction is not dependent only on teacher's questioning skills. It also depends on teacher's
reacting techniques. Some reacting techniques that have been proven to be effective are: 1) providing
feedback on the correctness or incorrectness of a response, 2) giving appropriate praise to high quality
responses, 3) following up a student's response with related questions, 4) explaining the question or
answer,5) rephrasing the seemingly unclear question, 6) showing non-verbal encouragement, 7) re-directing
the question to other students, and 8) soliciting students' questions to satisfy curiosity or to better understand
something.