This document discusses the art of questioning in education. It provides objectives, an introduction, discussion, principles of questioning, purposes of questioning, Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive levels of questioning, types of questions, questioning strategies, and educational implications. The key points are that questioning is an important teaching tool, teachers should use a variety of higher and lower-order questions, and creating a classroom culture where students feel comfortable asking their own questions is important for developing critical thinking.

1. CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
Pasacao Campus
Sta. Rosa del Norte, Pasacao Camarines Sur

2. SPECIAL TOPICS
IN
EDUCATION

3. Prepared By:
RODRIGUEZ, DIANA M.
Bachelor of Secondary Education
Mathematics IV
Prepared To:
PROF. CARLO CORNEJO
Instructor

4. QUESTIONS
and QUESTIONING

5. Topic:
The art of questioning
NCBTS:
Domains 4-Curriculum; 5-Planning,
Assessing and Reporting
By:
CELIA D. ANDAS, Ed.D

6. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this Module, the learners
should be able to:
o List at least six principles of good questioning;
o Define the six levels of cognitive thinking according to Bloom;
o Write at least three questions( in his/her own discipline) at
each of the six levels of questioning under the Bloom’s
Classification System;
o Justify the categorization of each questions developed in the
specific level;
o Create a 10=minute micro lesson during which a minimum of
five different questions, two of which must be above the
Comprehension level, will be asked; and
o Using the 10-minute micro lesson, analyze the questions
used.

7. INTRODUCTION
Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a
giving of right answers- JOSEF ALBERS(1888-1976)
A questions is any sentence which has an interrogative form
or function. In classroom settings, teacher questions are
considered as instructional cues or stimuli that convey to students
the content elements to be learned and directions for what they are
to do and how they are to do it. This calls for the teachers careful
planning and crafting of questions. Questions should play a central
role in the learning process.

8. DISCUSSION
Good questioning is an excellent aid to teaching that is
hardly utilized to the fullest extent. It challenges the higher order
reasoning; it is a determinant of teaching and learning outcomes.
The quality of the teachers questions affects the quality of
thinking in the classroom. Low order questions, mostly in the
lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy- particularly, knowledge and
comprehension- are the most common questions teachers use.
These questions require simple recall. Thus, there is not much
challenge to students thinking and reasoning. Many of these are
closed-ended questions, questions that require specific answers.
Higher order questions, on the other hand, usually in the
higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as synthesis and
evaluation, require higher order reasoning, stimulated through the
use of open-ended questions.

9. PURPOSES OF QUESTIONING
o To interest, engage and challenge the learners;
o To check on prior knowledge;
o To stimulate recall and use of existing knowledge and experience in
order to create new understanding and meaning;
o To focus thinking on key concepts and issues;
o To extend learners thinking from the concrete and factual to the analytical
and evaluative;
o To lead learners through a planned sequence which progressively
establishes key understandings;
o To promote reasoning, problem solving, evaluation and the formulation of
hypotheses;
o To promote learners thinking about the way they have learned;
o Develop critical thinking skills and inquiring attitudes and reinforce
student understanding;
o Provide feedback and enliven classroom discussion;
o Nurture insights by exposing new relationships;
o Stimulate students to pursue knowledge on their own.

10. PRINCIPLES OF QUESTIONING
The following principles were developed by RICHARD L.
LOUGHLIN (1991) and provide an excellent set of guidelines for the
teacher who wishes to develop good questioning techniques.
o Distribute questions so that all, including non-volunteers, are involved.
o Balance factual and thought-provoking questions.
o Ask both simple and exacting questions, so that the poorer students
may be extended.
o Encourage lengthy responses and sustained answers. (Avoid yes-no
questions, questions overlaid with afterthoughts, fragmentary
questions, and those that tug or encourage guessing. NOTE: if you
catch yourself asking a yes-no questions, add “explain”
o Stimulate critical thinking by asking: “To what extent?” “How?” “Under
what circumstances?” “Why?” “Compare or contrast)…”
a. Avoid: “Does anyone knows…?” and “Who can tell us…?”
b. Allow time for thought. Wait until five or six students want to speak.
c. Be a model of exact phrasing and coherent thinking.
d. Encourage students to comment on the answers of classmates.

11. e. Never interrupt students who is attempting to answer, nor
tolerate ridicule of an honest effort .
o Use the overhead technique: question, pause and name.
o Ensure audibility, then refuse to repeat questions or answers (In
large classes always repeat questions and answers)
o If a student asks a question, don’t answer it until you’ve asked
the class, “How would you answer that question…?”
o Personalize questions (“Pretend you are … what would you
do?”)
o Suggest partnership by inquiring, “How can we …?”

12. LEVELS OF QUESTIONING
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY – COGNITIVE DOMAIN
The questioning levels follow Bloom’s categories of educational
objectives to classify questions are summarized below, following an
ascending order, stating with the lowest, KNOWLEDGE, and progresses
to the highest, SYNTHESIS/CREATING. Each level is provided with
sample questions as guides in formulating one’s questions.
o KNOWLEDGE
- requires that the student recognize or recall information.
o COMPREHENSION
- requires the student to think on low level such that the
knowledge can be reproduced or communicated without a
verbatim repetition.
o APPLICATION
- requires the student to solve or explain a problem by applying
what he/she has learned to other situation learning tasks.

13. o ANALYSIS
- requires the student to solve a problem through the
systematic examination of facts or information.
o EVALUATION
- requires the student to make an assessment of good or
not so good according to some standards.
o SYNTHESIS
- requires the student to find a solution to a problem through
the use of original, creative thinking.

14. TYPES OF QUESTION
o FACTUAL QUESTIONS are used to get information from the
students and often test rote memory.
Ex. “ What is the most common reason for teenage pregnancy?”
o CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS intend to provide clarity to both
students and teachers. Such questions have important clueing
effects and help students to revisit their earlier statements with
alternative perspectives.
Ex. “ What do you mean by..?” “ Can you give me an example?”
o BROADENING or EXTENSION QUESTIONS enlarge the
existing theme, explore implications of the response and can
be useful in opening of further possibilities. Such questions can
be used to assess additional knowledge of the students.
Ex. “Do you know of any other chromosomal abnormality in Down
syndrome?”

15. o JUSTIFYING QUESTIONS probe for assumptions and explore
reasons for particular answers. These questions require significant
comprehension and reasoning skills on the part of the students.
Ex. “ You mentioned that CJ Corona lied in his SALN. What are your
reasons for such a statement?”
o HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS are used to explore students’
understanding of complex situations beyond the scope of a particular
encounter by creating hypothetical scenarios. Hypothetical questions
often come in handy during the latter part of teacher-student
interactions when the basic facts and concepts are already
established.
Ex. “Suppose Jerry has a ventricular septum defect and is taking
diuretics to control her symptoms, how would you revise and rearrange
the differential diagnosis of Jerry’s respiratory distress?”
o QUESTIONS ABOUT QUESTIONS probe for reasons for the question
that students ask teachers. This allows the students to verbalize their
reasoning and understanding of the events leading to their own
questions.
Ex. Why did you ask that particular question? What are you thinking of?”

16. o REDIRECTED QUESTIONS address the same question to
several students and distribute responsibility. The benefits of
such questions include generation of wider variety of responses
and allowing the students to evaluate each other’s
contributions. This technique shifts the focus from teacher-student
interactions to student-student interactions.

17. QUESTIONING STRATEGIES and
TECHNIQUES
CARAM and DAVIS (2005), offered the following
questioning strategies for successful questioning by a teacher:
o Create a classroom culture open dialogue.
o Use both preplanned and emerging questions.
o Select an appropriate level of questioning based on the
students’ needs.
o Avoid tricky questions that require only Yes or No answer.
o Phrase questions carefully, concisely, and clearly.
o Address questions to the group or to individuals, randomly.
o Use sufficient wait time.
o Respond to answer given by students.
o Deliberately frame questions to promote student interest.
o Use questions to identify learning objectives for follow-up self-study.

18. QUESTION ANALYSIS FORM
A chart may be used to classify questions in the Bloom’s
Classification System. Using the chart, the questions should be
written on the left-hand margin and then classified according to
one of the six categories. If the questions, for example, are
creative, they should be classified under either the synthesis or
evaluation categories. The questions should evaluated
objectively. The definition or description of each of the level or
category may be used as the basis of categorization.

19. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATION
Questions are an important element of any conversation. If we are
to develop a learning environment and approach where questions come
readily to children, then we need to use questions in a conversation rather
than simply to start a conversation. Social learning through group projects
and research through, for example, interviewing someone who knows
what we do not yet know is the key to creating life-long questioners. This
approach will also help children to learn how to listen.
Asking secondary students insightful questions has many benefits
for professional teaching practice. Whether the response is intended to be
written, spoken, dramatized, or conveyed in some other manner, it will
provide feedback on how successful the lesson was in stimulating their
thought processes. The students will reflect on their learning through
higher-level thinking processes such as analysis, synthesis, comparison,
or summation. Finally, students are more likely to remember what they
have learned when they explore the implications of their learning.

20. Thank you!