These Are the Best Questions to Ask Students
Asking questions is typically associated with assessment. This is how we determine what students have learned. Did you know that questioning can also be a powerful teaching tool?
Types of Questions
Let’s explore two types of questions: teaching questions and testing questions.
Teaching Questions are open-ended. These questions allow students to make connections and form 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?
Testing Questions assess what a student knows or has learned. These questions are closed-ended and typically have a single correct answer. Examples: Who is the main character in the story? What is the square root of 144? Where did the British surrender to end the Revolutionary War?
Consider the following 2 questions. Which would give a teacher more insight into a student’s knowledge and thinking?
Who was the first President of the United States?
This is a testing question. There is only 1 correct answer. A correct response might be due to rote memorization.
What question would you ask George Washington?
This is a teaching question that requires students to combine knowledge of George Washington with other pieces of information. Responses might give a teacher insight into students’ critical thinking skills, background knowledge, and/or abilities to make connections.
A Case for Using Teaching Questions
Contemporary research is fairly clear on the superiority of open-ended teaching questions. I am not suggesting that testing questions have no place. I am simply advocating for the prioritization of teaching questions. While there is some variance across related research, I would suggest a minimum ratio of 80% teaching: 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.
5) Teaching questions help students make connections. Successful students are able to generalize knowledge and skills beyond the classroom. Crafting questions that help students make connections to other knowledge or experiences is invaluable. Here is a basic hierarchy of making connections:
A quick Google search will uncover a range of templates that you can use to plan open-ended, teaching questions for your lessons. The example below offers 49 different potential combinations. The intent is not to ask 49 different questions during a lesson, but rather to offer a variety of great options.
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!
