Questioning in Teaching b.ed notes

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Questioning as a Teaching device: Asking questions is a soul part in Teaching learning process. The success of a teacher depends on a great extent upon the skill of questioning on the subject matter being taught. So what is questioning in teaching, techniques of questioning, importance of questioning in teaching and the types of questioning etc. will be discussed on this page.

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What is Questioning in Teaching

Questioning is an important tool or device of teaching. It is the strategy where a teacher asks questions to the students to judge the level of understanding of the students. Questioning is an activity that helps the teacher in effective teaching.

A teacher must know when to ask questions and how to ask questions because asking good questions is an art. One of the core qualifications of a teacher is to ask appropriate questions. See>>> Criteria of a good teaching.

The success of a teacher is somehow depends upon the skill or art with which a teacher ask questions on the topic being taught.

Definitions of Questioning

“Questioning is the key to educative activity.”– Parker

“No teachers of elementary of secondary subjects can success in his instruction, which has not a fair mastery of the art of question.”—Colving

What is the Purpose of Questioning in Teaching

A teachers uses various tools for an effective teaching as the Explanation, Questioning Illustration, Discussion, Narration, etc. because teaching is an art. Questioning is the key component of teaching learning process. Teachers ask variety of questions in his classroom teaching for many different purposes. The needs of questioning are given below.

  1. Questions are asked to test the previous knowledge of the learners on the lesion to be taught. And this type of questions asks on the beginning of a lesson.
  2. To diagnose the level of the understanding and interest of the students.
  3. A teacher asks questions in between his teaching to actively involve students in their learning process.
  4. To identify the difficulties faced by the students to understand a particular topic.
  5. Ask questions to link the new knowledge to the existing knowledge of the students.
  6. To drive motivation in students questions are ask.
  7. By asking questions a teacher can clear misconceptions of the students.
  8. To revise the lesson and arousing curiosity of the students.
  9. Questions are asked to encourage students towards self directed learning.
  10. To diagnose the week points of the students.
  11. Ask questions to remain students alert and attentive.
  12.  To understand student’s interest questions are asked.
  13.   To evaluate his/her teachings effectiveness.

Imporatant link >>>Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning

Importance of Questioning in Teaching

Questioning is a technique, through which a teacher can measure the level of understanding of the students. And the students can clarify their doubts. So questioning is an unavoidable part of teaching learning process. Some of the key point of using questioning strategy in the classroom is mentioning below-

  1. Questioning motivate students and develop interest about the topic.
  2. It improves speaking and listening skill of students.
  3. Questioning helps students to clarify their doubts.
  4. It allows teacher to check whether a student understand the taught topic or not.
  5. And It encourages the learner to engage with their works.
  6. It also empowers students to feel confident about their ideas.
  7. For an active learning questioning is very important.
  8. A teacher can maintain class discipline through this technique. Misbehavior of students can be question d in the classroom.
  9. Questioning can create a healthy intellectual atmosphere in the classroom.
  10. It is the gateway of learning. etc.

Thus the use of questioning is very important for an effective teaching. It benefits both teachers as well as the students in teaching learning situation. Before putting questions few points a teacher must keep in mind. This has been discussed below.

Importaant link>>>Stages of Teaching

Suggestions for successful questioning in Teaching

The teacher should take the following precautions while ask questions in the classroom. So that it provides a child centered environment and promotes critical thinking and active participations of the students.

a) Question should be asked based on student’s mental ability. A question should not be a mere questions a good question increase student’s thinking capacity.

b) A questions asked by teacher must be relevant to the content. If a teacher ask question and the students never hard before about it. It does not discover any new facts or solve any problem. So questions should be relevant to the topic.

c) Questions should be clear and understandable.

e) The questions asked by teacher must be logically sequence.

d) The questions asked should have a purpose for example ask questions that will help in revision of the previous lesson that has been taught.

f) Questions must not too easy or too hard. A good question is that maximum students respond to it.

g) A teacher should not ask questions continuously he should provide sufficient time to the students to think and formulate the answer after asking questions.

h) Questions should ask keeping in mind the objectives of the course.

i) A teacher should not stick to the questions that have prepared by the teacher at home. Questions must be flexible.

j) Questions must be ask in simple language. A teacher should not use any difficult terms while framing questions. He must frame questions according to the age ability and interest of the students.etc.

Types of questions in teaching

In teaching learning process, questioning plays a significant role for an effective teaching. A teacher many  of questions for many different purposes in classroom teaching. The different types questions are-

  1. Natural questions
  2. Formal questions
  3. Preliminary questions
  4. Developing questions
  5. Recapitulatory questions

 Natural question:  Questions that are asked spontaneously by a person are known as natural questions. These kind of questions are used by students in the classroom. Here the questioner wants to know the information on the topic on which they do not have knowledge. So questions asked by the child are generally fall into this category of natural questions.

Formal questions:  Generally formal questions are teachers ask questions. Formal questions are those questions that questioner knows the answer. so Questions raised by teacher are generally belonging to the category  of formal  questions.. Here the teacher’s aim of questioning is to stimulate some type of responses from the  students. Formal types of questions are further subdivided into three categories.

  1. Preliminary questions: Preliminary questions are also known introductory questions. Preliminary questions are asked at the beginning of a class. it is asked to test the prior knowledge of the students. And to connect the new knowledge of the learner with the existing knowledge. Here the teacher follows the maxims of teaching. See>>> Maxims of Teaching.

Precautions to be taken for Preliminary questions

  • Teachers must ask only a few  questions at the beginning of a topic.
  • Questions must be relevant to the subject matter.
  • The teacher should ask the questions that help in revisioning lesson taught.
  • Developing questions:  Developing questions used in the interactive phase during teaching. The main purpose of developing questions is to develop a lesson, proceed toward new facts and to grasp the interest of the students in teaching.

Important link>>> Team Teaching.

  • Recapitulatory Questions: At the end of a lesson a teacher summarise and highlights the main point and ask questions which are call as a recapitualtory questions.

The main objectives of Recapitulatory Questionsare

  • To highlight the main point of the lesson.
  • And to test the acquired knowledge of the child.
  • To make the leaned knowledge permanent of the students.

Suggestions for recapitualtory questions

  • The questions asked by the teacher should be relevant to the subject matter.
  • A teacher must give 10 to 12 seconds to think and responds the questions.
  • The questions may be long or short type of questions.
  • The blackboard must be rubbed off at the end of the lesion.

what are the characteristics of a good question

Good Questions in teaching is an important device a teacher can use to create a healthy learning atmosphere. Some of the important Characteristics of a good question in teaching are

1 Clarity: Questions asked by a teacher must be clear so that the child understand the questions easily. The teacher should not ask any questions with double meaning or vagueness. For instance

Who is the chief minister of Jharkhand? (Consider a Good Question)

Who is the chief Minister? It is not a clear questions.

2. Stimulate child’s thinking: A good question stimulates the learners to think and recalled the concept that has been taught. “What is the capital of Assam? This question is a memory exercise of students and do not stimulate thinking. But “Why is Dispur  well located to be the capital of Assam?”  stimulate thinking

3. Simple language: Ask Questions in a simple language. Teachers should try to avoid  difficult terms in framing questions and while doing so the age capability and interest of the learners should be kept in mind.

4.Relevant to the content:

A good question is relevant to the subject matter. A teacher may ask questions from the lesson that has taught. And these questions are related to each other in such a way that forward one question to another gradually.

5.Single dimensional: Double questions are confusing and hard to keep in mind for some  students. So the teacher should ask questions with single idea at a time. As like

•When did the First World War  begin and why did the First World War fought?

This question can divide into two parts as in the following

When did the First World War begin?

Why did the First World War fought?

6.Avoid yes no questions:  Questions with yes no answers should avoid by teachers. It leads the students as guess work. For example

In short the Criteria for effective questioning are

  • The question asked must be clear.
  • Questions must be frame in simple language.
  • It should be definite.
  • Questions should be related to the topic.
  • The questions must be aske d keeping in view the Bloom’s Taxonomy
  • It is based on reliability, validity, usability and objectivity.
Conclusion

Thus questioning is an important devices of teaching. Because it helps the teacher to check the understanding level of students.  By asking good questions a teacher can create healthy atmosphere in the classroom that is conducive. A teacher should ask questions addressing the whole class. And the questions raised by teacher should not harm a particular student’s faith. In addition to this he should keep in view the mental level of students. There are some criteria of a good questioning that a teacher should try to have mastery over the technique of asking query.

 So it is very important to ask good questions for an effective teaching. Although there are many other factors that contribute for a successful teaching. See>> Aspects of teaching Learning process.

Characteristics of TeachingClick here
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FAQ

  1. What questioning techniques does the teacher use?

Answer. There are many techniques of questioning that a teacher can use for an effective teaching. A teacher should ask questions in simple language so that they understand it. He should not use any difficult terms while framing questions. The teaacher must frame a questions according to the age ability and interest of the students.

2. Why is questioning a good teaching strategy?

Answer. Through the technique of questioning a teacher can check the student’s knowledge and interest easiliy. It helps to know the previous knowledge of students of a particular topic.

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