The Art of Asking Good Questions in the Classroom

Are your classroom questions really helping students learn?

This study reveals the hidden complexities of effective classroom question-asking and how it can transform student engagement and understanding.

Effective question-asking in the classroom goes beyond simply asking lots of questions.

Since publishing Guide To Questioning and sharing it in schools, I’ve learned that teachers believe they are good at asking questions simply because they ask lots of them every single day. The reality is mixed.

This research echoes my experiences: “… teacher educators’ pedagogical awareness of teaching via question-asking has remained mostly unexplored.” (Soysal & Soysal, 2023)

Questioning effectively stimulates curiosity, encourages deep thinking, and fosters meaningful dialogue to enhance learning. Doing this well with thirty young people in front of you, adapting in the moment and using various techniques requires lots of refinement and conscious decision-making.

What is effective question-asking?

Effective question-asking is a multidimensional practice that includes monological, declarative, dialogical, and metacognitive approaches amongst many others! Techniques range from using questions to diagnose understanding to stimulating interest, encouraging critical thinking, and promoting reflective practices among students.

Why is it important to use a range of techniques?

Good question-asking is crucial because it drives student engagement and promotes deeper understanding. Monological questions help diagnose learning gaps, while declarative and dialogical questions foster a more interactive and inclusive classroom environment. Metacognitive questions encourage both teachers and students to reflect on their thinking processes, leading to continuous improvement and more effective learning.

Studies show that when teachers use a combination of these approaches, they create a more dynamic and responsive learning environment. This not only helps students develop critical thinking skills, but also prepares them for real-world problem-solving.

How can teachers use these ideas?

To implement effective question-asking strategies, teachers should start by incorporating a variety of question types.

1. Use monological questions to gauge initial understanding,
2. Then move to declarative questions to spark interest and dialogue.
3. Encourage open-ended discussions with dialogical questions and,
4. Use metacognitive questions to foster reflection and self-assessment.

Image credit: Soysal & Soysal, 2013

Teachers should also be mindful of their questioning techniques, ensuring they allow sufficient wait time for students to think and respond. Using questions that connect student responses and encourage peer interaction can enhance learning outcomes. It’s also worth reading about the benefits of teaching students how to opt-out, teaching them how to manage their cognitive load.

Reflection questions for teachers:

• How often do teachers use open-ended versus closed-ended questions in the classroom?
• Do teacher questions stimulate student curiosity and interest?
• How do teachers handle incorrect or unexpected student responses?
• Are teachers allowing enough wait time after asking a question?
• How do teachers encourage student-to-student dialogue through questions?
• Do teachers reflect on question-asking practices and seek feedback from colleagues?
• How can teachers integrate more metacognitive questions into their teaching?
• What strategies do teachers use to manage cognitive load through questioning?
• How do teachers ensure questions are relevant and contextually appropriate?
• How can teachers help their students become better question-askers themselves?

The research concludes:

… teacher may feel more comfortable with monologically oriented questions in their classrooms [but unaware of] the benefits of dialogical question-asking in learning.

Download the full paper.