6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

QuestionTypes
Doyouknowwhatkindofquestionsyouaskmost
frequently?Researchonthequestionsteachersaskshows
thatabout60percentrequireonlyrecalloffacts,20percent
requirestudentstothink,and20percentareproceduralin
nature.
Themajortypesofquestionsfallintofourcategories:
Managerial:questionswhichkeeptheclassroom
operationsmoving
Rhetorical:questionsusedtoemphasizeapointorto
reinforceanideaorstatement
Closed:questionsusedtocheckretentionortofocus
thinkingonaparticularpointand
Open:questionsusedtopromotediscussionorstudent
interaction.
(Source:P.E.Blosser.(1975).HowtoAsktheRightQuestions.National
ScienceTeachersAssociation)

Followingisalistofquestiontypesyoucanusetoanalyze
yourquestioningstrategiesanddevelopavarietyofquestions
tohelpstudentsthink.

I.ProbingQuestions
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

1/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

Seriesofquestionswhichrequirestudentstogobeyondthe
firstresponse.Subsequentteacherquestionsareformedon
thebasisofthestudent'sresponse.
Types:
1. Clarifying
Ex:"What,exactlydoyoumean?"
"Willyoupleaserephraseyour
statement?"
"Couldyouelaborateonthatpoint?"
"Whatdidyoumeanbytheterm...?"

2. IncreasingCriticalAwareness
Ex:"Whatareyouassuming?"
"Whatareyourreasonsforthinking
thatisso?"
"Isthatallthereistoit?"
"Howmanyquestionsarewetryingto
answerhere?"
"Howwouldanopponentofthispoint
ofviewrespond?"
3. Refocusing
Ex:"Ifthisistrue,whatarethe
implicationsfor...?"
"HowdoesJohn'sanswerrelateto...
?"
"Canyourelatethisto...?"
"Letsanalyzethatanswer."

4. Prompting
Ex:Teacher:"John,what'sthesquare
rootof94?"
John:"Idon'tknow."Teacher:"Well,
what'sthesquarerootof100?"
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

2/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

John:"Ten."Teacher:"Andthesquare
rootof81?"John:"Nine."
Teacher:"Thenwhatdoweknow
aboutthesquarerootof94?"
John:"It'sbetweennineandten."

5. RedirectingtoAnotherStudent
Ex:Teacher:"Whatisthethemeof
Hemmingway's'OldManandthe
Sea'?"
Sam:"It'saboutanoldman'scourage
incatchingafish."
Teacher:"Mary,doyouagree?"
or:"Mary,doyouthinkit'sthat
simple?"
or:"Mary,canyouelaborateonSam's
answer?"

II.FactualQuestions
Questionswhichrequirethestudenttorecallspecific
informations(he)haspreviouslylearned.Oftentheseuse
who,what,when,where,etc.
Types:
1. SimpleBitsofInformation
Ex."WhowastheleaderoftheFree
FrenchforcesduringW.W.II?"
"Whoisthemaincharacterin
MargaretMitchell'snovel,GoneWith
TheWind?"
"Duringwhichcenturydid
Shakespearelive?"
"WhatistheSpanishverbmeaningto
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

3/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

run?"

2. FactsOrganizedintoaLogicalOrder(Sequenceof
Events)
Ex."Whatarethestepsabillgoes
throughbeforeitbecomesalaw?"
"HowweretheAmericanandFrench
forcesabletobottleupCornwalland
theBritishatYorktown?"
"HowdidRobinsonCrusoereactwhen
hediscoveredfootprintsinthesand?"
"Whatisthecommercialmethodfor
producinghydrochloricacid?"

III.DivergentQuestions
Questionswithnorightorwronganswers,butwhich
encourageexplorationofpossibilities.Requiresbothconcrete
andabstractthinkingtoarriveatanappropriateresponse
Ex."WhatmighthappenifCongresspassesa
lawpreventingthemanufactureandsaleof
cigarettesintheUnitedStates?"
"Howwouldthestoryhavebeendifferentif
Johnhadbeenatall,strongboyinsteadof
disabled?"
"Ifyouwerestuckonadesertislandandthe
onlytoolyouhadwasascrewdriver,whatuse
mightyoumakeofit?"
"Inwhatwayswouldhistoryhavebeen
changedhadtheSpanishArmadadefeatedthe
Englishin1588?"

IV.HigherOrderQuestions
Questionswhichrequirestudentstofigureoutanswersrather
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

4/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

thanrememberthem.Requiresgeneralizationsrelatedtofacts
inmeaningfulpatterns.
Types:
1. Evaluation:Requiresjudgment,valueorchoicebased
uponcomparingofideasorobjectstoestablished
standards.
Ex:"Whichofthetwobooksdoyou
believecontributedmosttoan
understandingoftheVictorianera?
Why?"
"Assumingequalresources,who
wouldyourateasthemostskillful
general,RobertE.LeeorUlyssesS.
Grant?Why?

2. Inference:Requiresinductiveordeductivereasoning
Inductive:Discoveryofageneral
principlefromacollectionofspecific
facts.
Deductive:Logicaloperationinwhich
theworthofageneralizationistested
withspecificissues.
Ex:"Wehaveexaminedthequalities
theseworldleadershaveincommon.
Whatmightweconclude,ingeneral,
aboutqualitiesnecessaryfor
leadership?Why?"(Inductive)
"Ifthetemperatureofthegasremains
thesame,butgasistakentoanaltitude
of4000feethigher,whathappensto
thepressureofthegas?Why?"
(Deductive)

3. Comparison:Requiresstudenttodetermineif
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

5/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

ideas/objectsaresimilar,dissimilar,unrelated,or
contradictory.
Ex:"Isamusselthesamethingasa
clam?"
"Whatsimilaritiesanddifferencesexist
betweenLincoln'sGettysburgAddress
andPericles'FuneralOration?"
"Whatistheconnectionbetween
SocialDarwinismandtheSupreme
Courtactionsofthelatenineteenth
century?"
4. Application:Requiresstudenttouseaconceptor
principleinacontextdifferentfromthatinwhich
she/helearnedit.
Concept=Classificationof
events/objectsthathavecommon
characteristics.
Principle=Arelationshipbetweentwo
ormoreconcepts.
Ex:"HowwasGresham'sLaw
demonstratedintheWeimerRepublic
ofGermany?"
"Canyouthinkofanexampletofit
thisdefinition?"

5. Problemsolving:Requiresastudenttousepreviously
learnedknowledgetosolveaproblem.Studentsmust
seerelationshipsbetweenknowledgeandtheproblem,
diagnosematerials,situations,andenvironments,
separateproblemsintocomponentsparts,andrelate
partstooneanotherandthewhole.Thisquestionmay
generateanswerstheteacherhasn'tanticipated.
Ex:"Supposeyougrowupwiththe
ideathatdogswerebad.Outofthe
manydogsyoucameintocontactwith,
http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

6/7

6/30/2015

TypesofTeacherQuestions

nonebityouwhenyouwerequite
young.Howwouldyoureacttowards
dogsnow?Wouldthetype,size,etc.,
ofthedogmakeanydifferenceasto
howyoureact?Explainthenotionof
prejudicesusingthisexample."

V.AffectiveQuestions
Questionswhichelicitexpressionsofattitude,values,or
feelingsofthestudent.
Ex:"Howdoyoufeelaboutthat?"
"Isthatimportanttoyou?"
"Wouldyouliketo...?"

VI.StructuringQuestions
Questionsrelatedtothesettinginwhichlearningis
occurring.
Ex:"Arethereanyquestions?
"Anyfurthercomments?"
"Istheassignmentclear?"
"Wouldyourepeatthat?"
"Arewereadytocontinue?"

http://www.lamission.edu/devcom/ProbingQuestions.htm

7/7