Revisiting Questioning Techniques
Updated: May 16, 2022
The Early Career Framework states that teachers must learn that... Questioning is an essential tool for teachers; questions can be used for many purposes, including to check pupils’ prior knowledge, assess understanding and break down problems.
Questioning is discussed a lot in pedagogy and practice, and I have written about questioning before. Today's article will act as more of a directory of where to find information on questioning techniques/strategies.
Back in September of 2020, one of my earlier posts "Questioning Techniques" discusses why questioning is important and offers strategies for different questioning techniques.
In December of 2020, I discuss "Hinge-point Questioning" and how to structure lessons around key questions students must be able to answer before learning is moved on.
Finally, in January of 2021, I discuss "Socratic Questioning" as an alternative to using Bloom's taxonomy for questioning in lessons.
TeacherToolkit provides some hints and tips in his YouTube video "10 Questioning Techniques by @TeacherToolkit":
Whilst it's not longer "all about Bloom's Taxonomy", it does still have it's place in questioning strategies. TeacherVision have also posted an article entitled "Levels of Questions in Bloom's Taxonomy" which you may find useful and the pdf below taken from Illinois State University provides some question stems based upon Bloom's Taxonomy:
5-02-Revised Blooms
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Download PDF • 143KB
You can also download a Bloom's Bookmark from "Millie Heighway's Shop" on TES to add to your planner:
Blooms-Bookmark
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Download DOCX • 24KB
The following video from TeacherHead discusses how Rosenshine's principles can be applied to questioning and provides useful tips and strategies for your classroom questioning:
Further Reading from the ECF
[Further reading recommendations are indicated with an asterisk.]
Alexander R.J. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion, London: Routledge.
*Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014) What makes great teaching. Review of the underpinning research. Durham University: UK. Available at: http://bit.ly/2OvmvKO
Donker, A. S., de Boer, H., Kostons, D., Dignath van Ewijk, C. C., & van der Werf, M. P. C. (2014) Effectiveness of learning strategy instruction on academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 11, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.11.002
Donovan, M. S., & Bransford, J. D. (2005) How students learn: Mathematics in the classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013) Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Supplement, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266
Education Endowment Foundation (2016) Improving Literacy in Key Stage One Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].
Education Endowment Foundation (2017) Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].