Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Questions and questioning techniques influence pupils achievement, attitudes and thinking skills. (CCEA 2007) Discuss this statement with reference to current literature including curriculum support materials and GTCNI competences. Include a lesson plan which provides evidence of use of key questions. Subject: Teaching Studies Tutor: Louise Long Submission Date: Tuesday 14th December

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies Questions and questioning techniques influence pupils achievement, attitudes and thinking skills. (CCEA 2007) Discuss this statement with reference to current literature including curriculum support materials and GTCNI competences. Include a lesson plan which provides evidence of use of key questions. Word Limit 1500 In this assignment I am going to examine and discuss why we as teachers ask questions and how we go about in doing so. I will then move onto discuss the benefits questioning has on students and for teachers; do students become more intrigued in the lesson, can teachers identify the misconceptions made by students from their answers etc. questions are asked to facilitate learning, so they are linked to the aims of lessons and the underlying purpose of the lesson. (Wragg 2001 pg. 11) When teachers ask students questions, they should have a purpose in doing so. The main objective when asking questions is naturally to get an answer. However as teachers we should be focused on the questions we ask and the way we ask them, for instance we should make our questions open ended. Asking an open ended question allows students to offer a more comprehensive answer, which in turn allows teachers to assess the students understanding. Teachers ask questions to stimulate recall, develop creativity and imagination and to develop the students understanding. While we as teachers ask questions, we can only hope that pupils will in return do the same. Asking questions can sometimes be more beneficial than the answer we receive. There are many different levels when it comes to asking questions. In Blooms Taxonomy we are able to see the different levels of learning skills and intellectual abilities. They range from lower order to higher order questioning, beginning with Knowledge at the lower order and finishing off with Evaluation at the higher 2

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies order of questioning. Teachers need to be able to ask various types of questions that are appropriate for the lesson that is being taught, and the level that it aimed for. When we talk about Knowledge questions, teachers are focused on finding out factual information. Blooms Taxonomy then moves further on up to discuss Application type questions, an example of this is how students can problem solve a situation. Evaluation questions then require a deeper understanding of the topic at hand; making decisions with support, using personal opinions and being critical in your thinking. Teachers need to make sure they ask a variety of these questions to keep the learning interesting. Students must also begin with lower order questions before they can effectively use the skills required for the higher order questions. The learning environment in which questions are being asked can have a significant influence on how students respond. A pleasant learning atmosphere is when students are keen to answer questions; they are not frightened to take risks. Every child matters, every opinion is appreciated; when an error is made they do not feel intimidated or embarrassed. Answers are valued no matter if they are correct or incorrect. Students will therefore feel more comfortable when it comes to answering further questions, hence this should influence the pupils attitude towards questions. Teachers need to build a supportive relationship with students so that students feel at ease when learning. Teachers need to be committed to every pupils learning and focus on their progression within learning rather than their performance. This type of atmosphere will encourage effective questioning and as a result, develop the classroom environment even more so. Kyriacou suggests that At the heart of effective teaching must be the ability of the teacher to create the right emotional climate and tone for the lesson, which will enable pupils to engage appropriately in the mental attitude required (Kyriacou pg. 143 1986)

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies Questions that are teacher-led are usually used for

assessment purposes. Teachers can recognize the errors made by students and are therefore able to plan future lessons accordingly. If errors are not identified then students are at the risk of falling behind in regards to their learning. It is crucial that teachers ask questions to assess pupils knowledge and understanding. Teacherled and student-led questions can be used to gain an understanding and clarification on a certain theme. When it is teacher-led, teachers can ask further questions to build on the students prior knowledge. Students work through problem solving techniques, develop independence and reflect on their own understanding through pupilled questions. It helps pupils tap into their metacognition; What is it I am looking for? What way did I do it the last time? etc. When introducing effective questioning into the classroom there are many strategies that should be considered. The first is asking better questions; What exactly do I want students to learn from asking this question? Answers that are given by pupils should demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a current theme that is being taught. When it comes to finding out what students already know, closed questions are then appropriate, were pupils are recalling what they have learned. To find out opinions and to discover a deeper understanding of a topic then open ended questions are more appropriate. When asking questions, teachers must have an idea where he/she wants the lesson to go. Teachers should plan and sequence their questions accordingly to encourage pupil responses; questions being asked should therefore expand and broaden the students learning. Another strategy when establishing the use of effective questioning is asking questions better; meaning the way in which the question is delivered (asked) and how you as a teacher allow the pupil to respond. Not to be confused with the previous strategy asking better questions. If risk-taking is an attitude that a teacher wants to promote, then whole class participation is needed. This

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies must also be encouraged in a non-threatening classroom as discussed previously. Effective questioning should take place in a comfortable environment, were pupils should feel that they can share their opinions without feeling intimidated. Asking questions to a group may increase pupil involvement and may well let the teacher identify pupil engagement. With reference to the Active Learning and Teaching Methods for Key Stages 1&2 book, there are many different techniques that allow students to engage in lessons without feeling singled out. Some students may feel nervous when it comes to sharing their thoughts with the class; consequently it is vital that teachers give a range of methods when it comes to responding to questions. One approach that can be put to use is the idea of Think, Pair and Share. This gives each student time to think about an answer, confer (share) their idea with a partner or small group and then share it with a larger group or whole class. This allows each pupils voice to be heard and should make them feel appreciated and valued. This goes back to the idea of every child matters. There are numerous named methods that can be used for developing answers if students do not feel at ease responding to the whole class e.g. Hot Seating, Carousel, and Spectrum Debate etc. All of these methods encourage students to think, make decisions and problem solve. When asking questions as teachers, we need to know how to deal with answers in an appropriate and helpful manner. Teachers need to listen to questions and answers actively; every response needs to be heard. As explained before in this assignment; wrong answers may reveal more about the pupils level of understanding. GTCNI competence 24 indicates how teachers should assess pupils learning; by monitoring pupils progress and by giving constructive feedback to help pupils reflect on their learning. Effective questioning is crucial when assessing pupils learning; by asking the correct type of question, students are able to reflect on their answer and see where their mistakes lie. One way to deal with answers that

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies are incorrect is to try and encourage a positive aspect from the response, for instance I can see where you got that idea but how about if? We tend to say No and move onto another pupil to get the correct response. Prompts make students rethink about the answer they have given. Students are able to evaluate what they have said; they may be encouraged by a simple nod of the head or by the teacher asking a question that makes them think about an alternative situation. Probing questions are probably the most important tactic for developing the thinking of pupils. (Wragg pg. 33 2001) Teachers should try and guide students towards a better response; this is to ensure that in the future, they do not feel embarrassed by answering questions and getting them wrong. As teachers, we ask the majority of questions; main reason being that we want to assess each students learning. However, we should be encouraging students to ask questions. It promotes pupil involvement and improves students evaluation on their own learning. Teachers should plan for pupils to be able to ask questions within their lessons. More often than not, teachers ask too many questions and do not give students enough time to respond. Teachers need to give pupils time to think about their answers and questions they might have. Research suggests that teachers typically restrict their wait time to 1-3- seconds. The problem is that this only really gives pupils time to recall old learning, not to construct new learning. (CCEA pg. 26 2009) By introducing a topic/theme that interests pupils will enhance the likelihood of them to ask questions. Teachers may also produce tactile objects that students can touch and gain first-hand knowledge from. By doing this students may possibly become more intrigued and therefore ask questions relating to the theme. Motivating displays will thus support development in the cognitive and affective domains, including helping children to respect the ideas of others. (Johnston et al. pg. 92 2007)

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies Effective questioning no doubt helps students thinking skills and develops their understanding in a particular subject. The way in which a question is delivered is of huge importance. It can identify the knowledge a student has required and what further work needs to be taught within that area. A child needs to feel unthreatened within the classroom; the classroom atmosphere should feel comfortable and a place where students feel safe when sharing their opinions. I have discussed some strategies and techniques on how teachers should prepare themselves when asking questions. There are many other areas that relate to effective questioning that I havent covered within this assignment, but I believe that the methods I have chosen are the most important when effective questioning takes place.

References
Books
Dean, J. (2000), Improving Childrens Learning, Effective teaching in the primary school, London: Routeledge

Student No: 15344061 Assignment: Teaching Studies Gipps, C., McCallum, B. & Hargreaves, E. (2000), What Makes a Good Primary School Teacher? Expert Classroom London: RouteledgeFalmer Johnston, J., Halocha, J. & Chater, M. (2007), Developing Teaching Skills in the Primary School, Berkshire: Open University Press Kyriacou, C. (1986), Effective Teaching in Schools, Oxford: Blackwell Wragg, E.C. (2001), Questioning in the Primary School, London: RouteledgeFalmer Strategies,

Curriculum Documentation
CCEA, (2007), The Northern Ireland Curriculum Primary, Belfast: CCEA CCEA, (2007), Active Learning and Teaching Methods for Key Stages 1&2, Belfast: CCEA CCEA, (2009), Assessment for Learning, A Practical Guide, Belfast: CCEA GTCNI, (2007), Teaching: the Reflective Profession, Belfast: GTCNI

Websites
Blooms Taxonomy. Accessed 5th December 2010 from http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm