Asking open-ended questions is an important part of teaching for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious reason is that questioning can reveal what a student already knows or has learned. In this article, we will explore how questioning can also be used to teach a range of important skills.
Types of Questions
Let’s discuss two types of questions: teaching questions and testing questions.
Teaching Questions are also called Open-Ended Questions. These questions are powerful because they allow students to consider background knowledge, make connections, and share opinions.
Examples: Who is your favorite character in the story and why? Explain how 2 numbers of your choice can work together to equal 12. How might our modern lives be different if the British had won the Revolutionary War?
Teaching Questions are also called Open-Ended Questions. These questions are powerful because they allow students to consider background knowledge, make connections, and share opinions.
Examples: Who is your favorite character in the story and why? Explain how 2 numbers of your choice can work together to equal 12. How might our modern lives be different if the British had won the Revolutionary War?
Consider the two questions below. Which would give a teacher more insight into a student’s knowledge and thinking?
Who was the first President of the U.S.?
What would you do if you were President?
This is a testing question. There is only one correct answer. A correct response might tell us that a student knows a single piece of information. It is also possible that the correct response is due to rote memorization, which does not indicate comprehension.
This is a teaching question that requires students to combine knowledge of Presidents with personal experiences opinions. Responses might give a teacher insight into students’ critical thinking skills, background knowledge, and/or abilities to make connections.
A Case for Using Testing Questions
Contemporary research is fairly clear on the superiority of open-ended teaching questions. I am not suggesting that testing questions have no place. The ration should be a minimum of 80% teaching questions and a maximum of 20% testing questions.
Here are some reasons:
1) Consider your primary duty as a teacher. Are you trying to create test takers or develop thinkers and lifelong learners? Which type of question will best serve your students?
2) Some people feel that students are learning the wrong things in school. The implication is that we are teaching kids to memorize academic facts at the expense of developing life skills. Asking open-ended teaching questions combines academic content with problem solving and critical thinking.
3) Let’s talk money. Schools spend a lot of funds on the latest curricula, technology, and resources. Those are fine, but great teaching > any curriculum or piece of technology.
4) When educators ask teaching questions, they promote active engagement by students. Asking open-ended questions is the best way to elicit opinions, and we all know that children love to share their opinions. Students and teachers, alike, can learn so much from having robust academic conversations.
Here are some great examples of teaching questions for various content areas:
Teaching questions are not only for core content teachers. Teaching questions should be utilized everywhere! They work for physical education, art, music, foreign language, or CTE.
You might also share this knowledge with parents, athletic coaches, scout leaders, etc.
Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions. One of the best ways to keep the conversation going is to simply say, “Tell me more.”
Happy teaching!
