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 The Art of Asking Questions Extract chapter from Teaching Teachers to Teach: A Basic Manual for Church Teachers.

 By Donald Griggs, Livermore, CA: Griggs Educational Service

 * Those are the basic points taken from that particular chapter which Dr. Kathy Winnings presented to the Conference for Educators 2006 at UTS.

 

Three Types of Questions All questions are not equally effective. There are many different types of questions but we can identify three basic types of questions that can be easily described and used by experienced, as well as inexperienced, teachers. The three types of questions are: Information, analytical, and personalized. Information questions: Information questions are based on facts. They have right answers, and if a wrong answer is given, it must be corrected. In order for learners to be successful in answering information questions, they must remember the facts. Such questions are very limiting. They do not elicit much conversation or discussion. Those who observe teachers in the classroom have concluded that most teachers, most of the time, ask information questions. When teachers ask too many information questions, those in the class feel as if they are taking a verbal test. If teachers ask a lot of questions based on facts that learners are to remember, they may be disappointed in two ways; (1) the students do not remember the facts to answer the questions correctly, and (2)  the questions do not lead to further discussion and exploration of the subject. Facts and information related to the subject of the session are very important. However, it is not necessary to deal with the facts by asking a lot of information questions. Such questions are most helpful when used to review a subject the class has already studied. Some examples of information questions: * Where did____ live? / * What did_____ do in that country? / * When ____ proclaimed the word of God and where did he do it? / * What were some issues he addressed? / * What was the name of the person? You can see how limiting these questions are. Unless these information questions are followed up with other types of questions, they will lead nowhere. They are important in Order to have a good discussion however; there are many ways to provide the information other than drilling the students with a verbal test. Analytical questions: Analytical questions are based on concepts. There can be many appropriate answers to one analytical question. In order for learners to be successful in answering these questions, they must analyze the information of the subject, think about the concepts, and come to their own interpretations or conclusions. Such questions call forth much interaction and discussion. The members of the class become energized and animated in their discussions, and often several want to speak at once. Whereas it would take a great number of information questions to occupy ten minutes, it may take only one well-phrased analytical question for the same amount of time. Every member of the class could answer a good analytical question differently and each answer could be appropriate. Such is the openness of analytical questions as they invite persons to think, imagine, and interpret as they reflect on the subject of the session. Examples of analytical questions: * Why do you suppose ___ went north to proclaim God's word? * What might ___ have been thinking about as he made the journey to ___? * Of the things ___ said there, which do you think was the most offensive to the religious leaders? Why? * Of the issues ___ addressed, which do you think are relevant and need to be addressed by the word of God today? * Who are some persons today who appear to function in the role of a prophet like ___ did? You will notice that each of these questions assumes several possible answers. If the first question had been phrased, "Why did __ go north to proclaim the word of God?" it would have sounded to the hearer like an information question even if the teacher intended it to be analytical and was expecting several responses. "Why did...?" appears to expect only one correct answer. Whereas, "Why do you suppose...?" calls for one to think and offer his or her own response, and several could answer differently, but appropriately. Personalized questions:  Personalized questions are based on personal experiences, beliefs, feelings, and values. As with analytical questions, there are many appropriate responses to one personalized question. In order for learners to be successful in answering personalized questions, they must think about the information and the concepts applied to their own life and faith journey. As with analytical questions, this type has the potential of as many answers as there are members in the class. However, personalized questions are even more open than analytical questions. If the question is a good one and the participant responds to it responsibly, then it would be impossible to have an incorrect answer because persons are speaking out of their own experiences and relating the subject matter to their lives. The teacher may prefer one response to another, but that does not make one answer correct and the other incorrect. Examples of personalized questions: * If you had been ___ going from ___ to ____ to proclaim God's word, what are some thoughts and feelings you might have had? * Imagine yourself in ___'s place if God told you to leave your home and go to ___? * What are the times when you have spoken up for what you thought was God's will and you were criticized or ridiculed? * What are some issues in your community that you would like to speak about with God's word? The value of personalized questions is that the participants are invited to make a connection between the words from the Bible (or other source) and the modern world and language of today. In this way it become living word of God. Studying the Bible and other religious material sources will become more interesting and relevant when teachers help students make such connections. There are two cautions to keep in mind when asking personalized questions: (1) Such questions are not an invitation for the teacher to invade a person's privacy, and (2) we need to be sure that the questions are not too personal. Students should feel free to answer or not to answer personalized questions. It is essential for teachers to plan their questions as carefully as they prepare other parts of the session. Keep practicing the art of writing and asking questions. An engaged and energized class member is worth the effort it takes to prepare our questions.

  

Questions are very flexible and can be used in a variety of ways * Teachers can ask questions to the whole class. / * Teachers can ask questions of one member of the class. / * Questions can be written on worksheets. / * Questions can be included as part of a set of instructions. / * Class members can ask questions of the teacher. / * Class members can ask questions of one another. / * Class members can raise questions for their own exploration. In addition to the many ways questions may be asked, it is possible to combine questions with a wide variety of teaching activities and resources. There are many ways to utilize questions in various parts of the class session. Questions may be used to:  * Introduce a new subject. / * Probe deeper into a familiar subject. / * Review a subject studied earlier / * Interpret a biblical passage. / * Reflect on what was seen and heard in a video or computer program. / * Brainstorm solutions to a problem. / * Interview a class guest. / * Motivate further investigation of a topic. / * Debate the pros and cons of alternative actions. / * Clarify personal beliefs and values. / * Analyze an ethical or controversial issue in the news, and connect biblical passage to a personal experience.   An engaged and energized class member is worth the effort it takes to prepare our questions.   Guidelines for Practicing the Art of Asking Questions  1. Ask questions that are more open than closed. Questions with only one right answer or a "yes" or "no" are more closed. When tempted to ask a closed question, make a statement instead; then, ask open, analytical questions.  2. Ask only on question at the time. More than one question at a time is confusing to the participants.  3. Present questions to the whole group. Instead of putting one person "on the spot", offer the question to the whole group. By being aware of the readiness of individuals to respond, you invite responses by eye contact, a nod of the head, or a gesture of the hand. When one student is called by name, she or he is the only one invited to think, the others are "off the hook." By asking a question to the whole group, everyone is expected to think, everyone is "on the spot." (*An other alternative is to call at random using a lottery system (put the class members in a hat) if the class's noise level is too high or they are too hyper for you to handle).   4. Provide feedback after a participant responds. The discussion leader can reinforce participants and facilitate further discussion Providing verbal and nonverbal feedback so that the participant will know the leader has heard and received his or her contribution. A nod of the head, a smile, a "thank you," or a brief comments are ways to provide feedback to someone who has responded to a question.  5. Follow up with probing questions. Probing questions are those that follow up after an initial question and response. They lead to further inquiry and exploration in depth of a subject. Probing questions also provide a degree of reinforcement and feedback. Probing questions can begin with, " say a little more about...." "What are some tother examples of ...?" "How does that compare with...?" or " Who has something else to add to...?"  6. After asking a question, be silent. The best next step after asking a good question is to be silent. If the question is clearly stated and if the participants have sufficient background with which to answer, then they need some time to think. Ten seconds is not too much time, but it seems like an eternity to an anxious teacher. The burden of the silence should be upon the participants, not upon the leader. Practicing the art of asking questions means practicing being silent after asking a question.  7. Use an inquiry style rather than an interrogation style. Inquiry says to the participants, "I'm interested in what you think and say. " Interrogation puts persons on the defensive and inhibits their ability to think and express themselves creatively. "Why did you say that?" is a way to put the participants on the defensive because they feel like they are being interrogated. Often it is more a matter of tone of voice and nonverbal expression than the words we use.  8. Encourage participants to ask their own questions. Questions are not just the property of the leader and teacher; questions can be asked and used effectively by the participants as well.