How to ask questions - how to respond to learners’ answers
Important things to consider when asking questions are:
- the purpose of the question;
- the nature of the question (we have spoken about that);
- to whom the question is directed;
- the wait time before expecting an answer;
- who is chosen to answer the question;
- the interaction between learners and learners, and teacher and learners that follows.
For what purpose(s) would one use closed questions?
For what purpose(s) would one use open questions?
Options for directing the question:
A question can be directed at the whole class:
Who is still busy with this diagram?
- This is a maintenance question.
Do you understand?
- This is a bad question, since it is not directed at anyone and gives the teacher no useful feedback and the answer is ALWAYS "yes".
How many more times must I tell you to keep quiet?
- Another useless question
(now for a good one)
Why is there water on the outside of this glass?
- The teacher is directing the question at the class and no one in the class knows whether they are going to be asked to answer, so everyone thinks about the answer. The teacher then chooses a learner to answer.
A question can be directed at individuals
Peter, what is photosynthesis?
- The teacher may have chosen Peter because Peter was seen to be inattentive, or because Peter is known to have struggled with remembering this previously. Unfortunately, the rest of the class are passive, knowing that they do not have to think while Peter answers (unless the teacher then asks Zondi whether Peter’s answer is correct).
Generally, it is better to ask the whole class, then wait a few seconds, giving everyone sufficient time to think about an answer before asking someone to answer.
Work as a group to design a 5 minute lesson in which questions are used properly. Prepare to role play the lesson as a group in front of the other groups of the workshop
Copyright (C) Nikana - January 2000
