This document provides a guide for observing, participating in, and reflecting on classroom lessons. It discusses Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive skills and how it can be used to analyze the cognitive level of questions teachers ask. The taxonomy ranges from lower levels like memory and comprehension to higher levels such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It also presents Sanders' adaptation of Bloom's taxonomy, which identifies 7 levels of questions from least to most complex. The document encourages observers to examine the types of questions teachers ask using these frameworks to assesswhether higher-level questions are being utilized.

1. A Guide to Obseruatior,
participatior], and Reflection
in the Classroom
FIFTH EDITION
Arthea J.S. Reed
Unfi"rtity of I'lorthCarolinaat Asheville
Verna E. Bergemann
Uniu"rrityof Xinl, Carolinaat Asheville
B o s t o n B u r r R i d g e , I L D u b u q u e , I A l v l a d i s o n ' W I N e w YLondon n F r a n c i s cMexico o u i s
Lisbon o r k S a Madrid o S t . L city
Lumpur
Bangkok Bogo-t5. Caracas ttl^t.
MilarrMontrealNewDelhis"'.*g.s.o.,tsingaporeSydneyTaipeiToronto

2. tserving Questioning Techniquel
canhelp
foi'eii.amining.qu_estions byasked reachers' codingsystem
A
Therearemanyapproaches *i[?o.* o.r ,..hnique developed. by N9r1is
you examine fie'rype.sof q,ro.iJr-;1.?l(. " Bloom'Bloom's cognrtlve
raxonomy oFBenjamin
sanders (seeTabte based the cognicive
2.1), on
ln ocherwords'under-
fiil i, r,i.r"r.rricar.
raxonomy assurnes deverop*..r, of cog.riti.rr.
rhar callsknowledge recall
or
standing concep*
of Progresr., rro- r*olt ""lt"t*a'"g'*l1',Bloo* and interpreta-
cailsthis transladon
(Sanders callsdri; ,rrl*o.y), *if"^preh.eyr.on,(i*dti' levels cognitiot T analysis'
of syn-
knowledg..;d"t labers .il;;gier
tion) to morecomplex *or. .""r"pr* revers oF,rrid.rr.anding is the abil-
to,
fiesis,and evaruari,on. berweerr'rlr. "rra
In
*i newsituarions. Broorns cognirive tax-
ones;il;;iro probr.*,
iry coappry(appiication) olce high levels
is cyclical'.
irh. .h"r*no*r, knowledge
onomyis diagrammed F!eu., t.i.
in
individuarmusrbegin,o "id ro this
knowledge by
an
of knowredge a concepr ,iri.".a,
of
"r. 1
developing new concePts'

3. 32 OBSERVITiG THE SCHOOLS
IN
'.f
Sanders,using Bloomt raxonomy, identifies seven levelsoF questions, from least to
complex.
1. Memoryn The srudent recallsor recognizes
information.
2. Tianslation: The srudent changesinformation into a different symbolic fo:- or language.
3. Interpretation: The studenr discoversrelationshipsamong facts,generdizations,definitions,
values,and skills.
4. Application: The student solvesa real-life problem that requiresidentification of fie issue
and r}reselectionand use of appropriate generalizationsan{.skifls
5. Analysis:The student solvesa problem in the light oFconsciousknowledge of rhe paru and
forms of riinking.
6. Synthesis:The student solvesa problem that requiresoriginal, creativethinking.
7. Evaluation: The student makes a judgment of good or bad, right or wrong, according to
standards designates
he (Sanders,1966, 3).
If you compareSanders'levels questionsto Blooms taxonomy,you will note a Fewminor
of
differences. Sanderscails the lowest level of questioningmemlry rather rhan recall,as it is desig-
nated by Bloom. And Sandersdivides the second level of rhe domain, comprehensiott" wo inro
levels of questions: transhtion and interpretation.
To recognize levelof question asked,you must be able to examinefie quesdon and place
the
it at r}reappropriatelevel.The besrway ro do this is to list all questionsaskedby r}reteacher,oral
andwritten, and examinethem basedon examples eachlevelprovided inTable 2.1. You can
of
alsousethe verbsprovidedin the centralcircleof Bloomt cognitivedomain in Figure2.1 ro iden-
tif' the level of a question.The useof a cassefte recorderis very helpful in this process.Caution:
simply list or recordthe questions withour arremptingcheexaminationprocess undl each ques-
don askedcan be carefi.rlly compared wifi sample questions.It is important to note *rat if two
observers listen to the samelesson, is likely rhat even if the questionsare identically recorded,
it
the observers' placementof them within levelswill differ to someextent.
Sincemost educarors, including Bloom and Sanders, agreethat too many lower-levelques-
tions (memory translation,interpretation)and not enough higher-levelquestions(application,
anall'sis,synthesis,evaluation) are asked,it is helpful to note the frequenry of the rype of ques-
tion asked. Keep in mind, however, thar in a well-plannedlesson, levelof questionsaskedwill
the
directly relateto the teacher's objecrivcfor.the students.For exa.mple, the teacher's
if objectiveis,
"The studentswill examinethe feud in Romeo and Juliet," it is likely that chequestionsu'ill be at
the loq,er levels.If, however,the objective is, "The studentswill compare and contrast the feud
in Romeoand Juliet with other literary and nonliterary feuds," the questions will move from
memory ro analysis.

4. OBSERVING TEACHERS
FIGURE2.1 Cognitive Behaviors and Verbs"
Based on Bloom's Coguitive Domain
Abiliry to rccall,co bring inro
mind appropriatc matcrid, and II. Comprchensivcncss
knowledgc o[ spccGcs
rnd
(Rcquirest.) Thc abitirYro
(uires I, II, [[], M
oudinc, disringuish,mcmo- cekca wrirten or oral com-
jto and V.) Abiliry to makc
rizc, recognizc, rccirc, abu- municarion and makc usc
fudgmena about quali- lece,idenrifr, nemc, ordec of the idcas it conrains
ry ,"elucs,proccduces
mcrhods, etc, b),
orher idcas or marerials
tnor Lrsingr.hcapgropri-
or scc Fullcsc meening'
'<is- arc crircrir grup, rnrutatc, e)Grn-
arguc, asscss, judgc,
ine, disctrss, classifu'
sclccr. cr-ahnrc, solve,
rwo interpcec, dcscribe, illus-
weigh, raluc, apPrr'isc,
I trare. escimate, cxPlain
Pfove
rlace
COGNITTVE
oral DOIvIAIN (Rcquir3sI
can 3 <i l . J . o r . i n
(uircs I, U, m, c.onstmcr, comPosc' sotve, usc, predicr,
ien- and IV.) Thc abiliry rclarc, epol.v, diegrrrn. to '-f-{c .l :lc*
organizc, dcsign' crcerc'
2robtc:n, :Gcl. lr:nc:
tion: to pur rogedrcr clc- plan. pcrform, Predicr
d-raw, dcrronsr;lte
to [orm pie, cr ::'lcc;-t. :jla isc
rr leq- mcnci or parc
t..-" organizrdoo in :' ncJ 5ieJ:':ion
a unificd
: rwo cornoare, conr3sr.
or wholc-
-; -A dcrivc, organizc' crens-
hrc. discover,causc& eftct,
diffcrenrietc, scc rczrcns whY,
i r r e q - scc reledorshiPs
a l I PQ-
j *ill (Rcquircs t, li, and III.) Abiliqf ro break down a
communicarion or maccrial into componcnt
rveis, parb and ro.dctcct rJrcrclacionship o[ rhc para
be at the waY thcY erc organizcd'
, ieud
:rom
.: - tV. Ana.lysis
:
This diagram idencifiesand explains the six.levels o[cognitive behaviors;it also givesa sa'm-
evaluadon to the proPer levelof cogni-
ple list of ',r.ib, *rat may be used in reladng behavioral
tive behavior. . r. : : :' i
oFField Experienccs
,Adaprcd by Sanchon s. Funlq J.Fr"rr L Hoffin;;'An"c Keidrley, and Brucc E- tong of rhc Florida Satc univcrsiry office
Longman S. Green and company, lnc.' 1985'
from Bcnjamin Broom er a- tJl, Tannom of Eduatun ohjcciua, agnitirc Donzit,

5. 34 OBSERVING IN THE SCHOOLS
TABLE 2.1 Examples of Levels of,Questions Based on Sanders
"'' ' '.. a-
and Bloom
1. Memory Howmuchis...?
Vhg is ?
'!7henwas...?
O",tln. il,. chapter.
2. Tiznslation What does the definition say?
What is the English translation of thar passage?
look on page27; what does your text say about . . . ?
Draw a picture of the character in the story as we read.
3. Inteqpretation In your own words, what does that passagemean?
'Wirlout
looking ac your tcxt, what is meant by ' . -.?
Write a sentence using *re vocabulary word . . .
Explain the meaning of fie graPh.
'lfhat
is rhe word probiem asking you to do?
Estimate the number of votes needed to win.
'What
4. Application would happen if . . - ?
'$Chat
would you do in a similar situation?
How would you solve that problem?
Using this play as a model, write your own play based on rhe story we read.
Solve *re word problem.
Diagramthe...
Demonstrate . . .
5. Analysis Compare this story to that story.
Consast this batde to that banle.
'lChat
was the effect of his decision?
7'har caused the problem?
Is this story based on facr or opinion?
'What
is the major chemc of the novel?
'lfhat
conclusion would you derive from the following .
'Write
6. Svnthesis an essayabout . . .
'lZrirc
an original shon srory.
Design your own experiment.
Using all you have learned about oil painting and ponraiture, paint a portrait
in oils.
Develop soiutions for the problem of . . .
'lfrite
a computer program.
'Write
7. Evaluation a critiquc of rhe novel . . .
Evaluate dre qualiry of . . .
Atgr. che following point . . .
Debate . . .
'Writc
a point-counterpoint PaPer on . . .
Based on all you have learned, evaluate your own work.
Vhose solution proved tie most effecdve?