| One important use of questioning is to
facilitate student thinking about and discussion of science. Asking the right question at
the right time can help a student clarify his or her thoughts, recognize a pattern, or
overcome a conceptual hurdle. Appropriate questioning can help students understand science
not just as a body of information to master but as a way of learning about the natural
world. In addition, the questions a teacher asks can become models for students who are
learning how to ask their own questions during scientific investigations.
To question effectively, teachers first have to decide which type of
question to ask. Different questions have different functions, and certain situations call
for different types of questions. Lower level questions ask students to recall and
recognize information while higher level questions ask students to analyze information.
Teachers draw from a range of questions, including those that ask students to focus or
refocus, make comparisons, measure and count, make predictions, draw inferences, process
information, apply knowledge to new situations, or to reflect. For example, What surprised
you about your data from the simulation? Why do you think your data differs from another
group's data?
Deciding which type of question to ask is just the beginning. How
teachers phrase time, sequence, and follow-up questions also contributes to their
effectiveness. For example, by giving students time to formulate their responses, teachers
help them transform superficial comments into deeper answers. Asking a series of carefully
structured questions and revisiting earlier questions can lead to new insights. Teachers'
responses to the answers their questions provoke can both help students assess their own
understanding and communicate the joy of doing science.
Using questions in science classrooms is an ongoing decision-making
process. By understanding the function of different types of questions and their
appropriateness in certain situations, as well as by making choices about the phrasing,
timing, and sequencing of those questions, teachers can craft questions that become
powerful tools for promoting inquiry. |
