The theme of diploma work Practical techniques and

The theme of diploma work: “Practical techniques and strategies for framing questions and guidelines on effective questioning and generating students’ motivation for learning English”

Tasks 1. To analyze theoretical material on the problem of the research; 2. To identify cognitive levels of teachers’ questions as a key element of the interactive classroom; 3. To define the perspectives of questions in generating students’ motivation for learning English; 4. To reveal and describe types of questions and their applying techniques; 5. To provide framework for constructing effective questions.

Cognitive Levels of Questions Lower cognitive questions are those which ask the student merely to recall verbatim or in his/her own words material previously read or taught by the teacher. Lower cognitive questions are also referred to in the literature as fact, closed, direct, recall, and knowledge questions. Higher cognitive questions are defined as those which ask the student to mentally manipulate bits of information previously learned to create an answer or to support an answer with logically reasoned evidence. Higher cognitive questions are also called open-ended, interpretive, evaluative, inquiry, inferential, and synthesis questions. Research on the relationship between the cognitive level of teachers’ questions and the achievement of their students has proved frustrating to many in the field of education, because it has not produced definitive results. Quite a number of research studies have found higher cognitive questions superior to lower ones, many have found the opposite, and still others have found no difference.

The six types of Socratic questioning Types of questions Examples 1. Questions for clarification: l. Why do you say that? l. How does this relate to our discussion? l"Are you going to include diffusion in your mole balance equations? " 2. Questions that probe assumptions: l. What could we assume instead? l. How can you verify or disapprove that assumption? l"Why are neglecting radial diffusion and including only axial diffusion? " 3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence: l. What would be an example? l. What is. . analogous to? l. What do you think causes to happen. . . ? Why: ? l"Do you think that diffusion is responsible for the lower conversion? "

4. Questions about Viewpoints and Perspectives: l. What would be an alternative? l. What is another way to look at it? l. Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits? l. Why is the best? l. What are the strengths and weaknesses of. . . ? 5. Questions that probe implications and consequences: l. What 6. Questions about the question: l. What generalizations can you make? l. What are the consequences of that assumption? l. What are you implying? l. How does. . . affect. . . ? l. How does. . . tie in with what we learned before? was the point of this question? l. Why do you think I asked this question? l. What does. . . mean? l. How does. . . apply to everyday life? l"Why do you think diffusion is important? "

Classification of questions according their fundamental essence: Convergent question, often called a closed question is intended to elicit a specific response or a narrow list of possible responses. Educators use convergent questions to draw a single “best” response from learners. Divergent questions do not have a single “best” response. Educators Use divergent questions to stimulate dialogue and explore a range of issues related to the topic.

Classification of questions based on cognition dimension: • Application questions require the learner to execute a procedure or process, mental or physical, to an unfamiliar situation or circumstance • Analysis questions may ask the learner to organize elements within a structure, distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, or deconstruct underlying values and biases. • Evaluating questions require the learner to critique a work or product, determine the appropriateness of a process or product for a given problem.

Classification of questions according 4 types of knowledge ( by Anderson and Krathwohl): Factual knowledge includes the Factual questions often ask students to recall technical vocabulary used in a specific elements from a reference source, they discipline and the details extracted from address higher-order thinking. Questions on the factual dimension of knowledge can be constructed to reliable sources of information. demonstrate understanding, prompt analysis, or evaluate the work of others. Conceptual knowledge includes an awareness of the inter-relationships between the elements of a larger structure. Conceptual questions might ask learners to justify an answer based on underlying principles or theories, or to classify elements into categories. Procedural knowledge is the ability to use algorithms, techniques, or criteria as well as the ability to determine when Procedural questions might ask the learner about well-established methods for gathering information or selecting the most appropriate equation in a particular situation. it is appropriate to use them. Metacognitive knowledge is an awareness of one’s own cognition. Metacognition questions might ask a learner to articulate a cognitive strategy required to complete a task or examine personal motivations and values.

Questions are effective when: • - The questions are thoughtfully planned. • - They activate prior knowledge. • - The teacher’s verbal and non-verbal behaviours indicate an interest in the responses and the individual(s) responding. • - Teachers are actively considering student responses in order to determine follow-up and the next instructional steps.

Some common questioning errors made by teachers: • -Asking too many questions at once • -Asking a question and answering it yourself • -Failing to probe or explore the implications of answers • -Asking unconnected questions • -Asking yes/no or leading questions

Skills of Preparing for Questioning: • • 1. Deciding on the Purpose for Questioning Teachers ask questions with several goals and aims: different styles of lessons, teaching goals have corresponding questioning strategies. Teacher should take different skills and methods of questioning. 2. Selecting Content for Questioning Teacher’s questions give guidance to emphasis of students’ study. It is very important for teachers to choose key contents to design questions. In classroom language teaching, students’ learning is mainly based on teachers questioning, so the content teachers choose to question is quite important. 3. Phrasing the Questions The answer to questions should be more than just Yes/No. Questions should be clear and the students should easily be able to see what you want for a response. Questioning should be challenging and interesting. It can stimulate the pursuit of knowledge and encourage passive students to get involved in. Answering questions should be brief. 4. Anticipating Problems The teacher can know the learners’ inherent knowledge by asking them two kinds of questions: the one-word answer question and multi-answer question. The first question will show whether the students have grasped the knowledge.

Skills of Designing for Questioning 1. Increasing the Number of Referential Questions Referential questions are those questions for which the answer is not already known by the teacher. Such questions may require interpretations and judgments on the part of the “answerer”. 2. Asking Questions Related to Students There always silent students in the class, and the silent students will always be there in the class. They should be encouraged to participate in the classroom activities or the classroom interactions. 3. Skills of Controlling for Questioning Since the focus of interactive teaching is interaction between teachers and students, in the course of teachers’ questioning and students’ answering, more efforts should be made on the controlling practice to enhance the interactive effect in language teaching.

• • Skills of Controlling for Questioning A) Nominating after the Question The way of questioning is asking questions first, giving students time to think and then ask nominating student to answer. B) Nominating Non-volunteers Students become distracted easily or do something by their own. When teachers ask questions, they can ask silent students deliberately, it can let students pay attention to your class. Non- volunteers will think they are taken seriously when teachers ask a question to them. C) Probing is another important questioning skill. Probes are based on student responses. D) Increasing Wait-time An important dimension of teacher’s questioning skills is halting time, or wait time, that is, the length of time the teacher waits after asking the question before calling on a student to answer it, rephrasing the question. , directing the question to another student, or giving the answer.

Skills of Evaluating for Questioning • • • 1. Praising Affective Cognitive feedback gives students information about the questions they use, while affective feedback serves as emotional support which facilitates communication to continue. Teachers must provide learners with cognitive feedback as well as affective support. 2. Encouraging In language classrooms, feedback is often directed towards the accuracy of what a student says. A number of issues are involved in error feedback. These include decisions about (1) whether learner errors should be corrected, (2) which kinds of learner errors should be corrected, and (3) how learner errors should be corrected. Even than students give a complete wrong answer, teacher still should give them enough encouragement. 3. Quoting is one kind of indirect praises. Teacher can quote students’ correct answer when he gives students the standard answer. It can encourage more than praised or encouraged words.

The main components of effective questioning: • • 1)Student-generated Questions can lead to deep learning. Requiring students to create their own questions can elicit a greater understanding of the course material. Using this questioning strategy, students demonstrated greater thought complexity and engagement. 2)The Phrasing and Clarity of words used in formulating a question greatly influences its effectiveness. An ambiguous question is one that is unclear to students and confounds their response. A well-phrased question enables students to effectively understand the nature and scope of the question being posed. 3)Psychological Safety A psychologically unsafe environment will prevent students from expressing their thoughts and opinions aloud. The behaviour and demeanour of the teacher greatly influences the perceived psychological safety of the learning environment. 4)Sequencing and Balance Sequencing is asking questions in a patterned order with the purpose to elicit meaningful responses from the audience. Balance is asking both convergent and divergent questions from multiple knowledge domains and at varying cognitive levels. Achieving balance also requires paying attention to the frequency at which questions are used relative to the amount of time spent presenting new information, providing examples, and engaging students in other active-learning activities.

Types Of Questions Davis’s range of question types, include: Ø Exploratory questions: probe facts and basic knowledge Ø Challenge questions: interrogate assumptions, conclusions or interpretations Ø Relational questions: ask for comparisons of themes, ideas, or issues Ø Diagnostic questions: probe motives or causes Ø Action questions: call for a conclusion or action Ø Cause-and-effect questions: ask for causal relationships between ideas, actions, or events. Ø Extension questions: expand the discussion Ø Hypothetical questions: pose a change in the facts or issues Ø Priority questions: seek to identify the most important issue(s) Ø Summary questions: elicit synthesis

Crucial factor in questioning technique Wait time - an important dimension of teacher’s questioning skills, that is, the length of time the teacher waits after asking the question before calling on a student to answer it, rephrasing the question. , directing the question to another student, or giving the answer. Two types of wait times in the questioning cycle • Wait-time 1 is the silent period that follows a teacher question but precedes the next utterance, typically a student answer or an additional teacher comment. Wait-time 1 can be thought of as ‘think’ time, and if wait-time 1 is long enough, students have adequate time to volunteer to answer a question, as well as to think about the answer that they will give. • Wait-time 2, the second critical silent period, follows a student answer but precedes a teacher reaction. If wait-time 2 is long enough, both students and the teacher can carefully consider student responses.

Frameworks and strategies for promoting effective questioning • • • Provide visual stimuli to support your question/answer sessions: Make your question/answer sessions kinaesthetic by using a value continuum Use the ‘mirroring’ technique Use the ‘hot air balloon’ technique Use the ‘bouncing’ technique: Use the ‘think, pair and share’ technique Model the thinking process by ‘thinking aloud’ in front of your pupils Get pupils to ‘think aloud’ when they are preparing to offer their responses Present pupils with moral dilemmas and produce a menu of questions to support the activity. Provide pupils with opportunities to ask questions Use the ‘hot-seating’ method

Guidelines for effective questioning • • • Recognise and use different types of questions Pitch questions at an appropriate level. Wait for a response Respond positively to all answers that students offer, with verbal and body language. Inviting questions from students

Recommendations for good questioning practice 1. Consider your instructional goals for the lesson and plan some questions designed to direct the flow of the lesson, but do not be afraid to use unplanned questions to steer the conversation. 2. Ask clear and specific questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Communicate the question so that the learner understands what kind of response is expected. 3. Sequence questions so that they build upon each other. Use a balance of questions from all types and levels. 4. Encourage responses from both volunteering and non-volunteering students to gain maximum participation. Redirect initially asked questions to other students to cultivate discussion. 5. Probe initial student responses and encourage students to clarify and support their answers. 6. Pause anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds after asking a question to give students time to formulate their answers. Also pause after students’ initial responses to give other students a chance to interpret that response. 7. Respond to answers in a positive, sincere way to create a risk free environment. Guide incorrect answers with additional questions or rephrase your question in such a way that it is better understood. 8. Require students to generate questions of their own