Effective Questioning for Science 10 and Biology 20

This project addresses the following question: how can questioning be most effectively used to
enhance critical thinking, engagement, and differentiating in science education? By addressing this
question, a list of effective questions (IQ – Inquiry Question, DQ – Discussion Question) for teachers to
use in the Science 10 and Biology 20 curriculum of Alberta will be compiled

I. Critical Thinking

As a way to foster critical thinking, teachers should teach science with an inquiry-based learning
(IBL) approach, since teaching with an IBL approach has shown to increase critical thinking skills of
students when compared to classes taught without an IBL approach (Duran & Dokme, 2016). IBL, in this
sense, refers to formulating questions that won’t require a single correct or incorrect answer, but one
that requires students to justify evidential relationships (Duran & Dokme, 2016). To this end, teachers
utilizing IBL will act more as a facilitator, taking on different degrees of intervention depending on the
strength of the class. Specifically, IBL can be divided into three different degrees of intervention, all of
which should be used periodically to enhance critical thinking:

1) Constructed Inquiry – teacher poses questions and carefully guides students on how to reason
and make connections.
2) Guided Inquiry – teachers help students construct their own questions, providing feedback
during the process.
3) Free Inquiry – students construct their own questions independently and form connections
using previous knowledge and new knowledge, asking the teacher for help when needed.

One strategy to enhance IBL is the use of issues, especially controversial ones (Bedford, 2010). By
using controversial scientific issues, students must obtain the typical knowledge that they would learn in
class, but, at the same time, they will be engaged in forming evidential relationships, forming
arguments, and assessing content, all leading to much deeper learning a critical thinking development
(Bedford, 2010). For example, instead of teaching concepts in genetics directly, a teacher could pose the
issue: should genetic enhancement be permissible? In this case, students will need to engage in the
background information related to the topic, such as DNA replication, heritability, mutations, and
CRISPR. However, at the same time, students will need to use this knowledge to inform ethical decisions
on the topic.

In conjunction with the use of inquiry questions, researchers note that regular discussion questions
will also be necessary to enhance critical thinking skills, as this allows students to verbally recognize
relationships between evidence and claims (Duran & Dokme, 2016). To this end, it might also be useful
to frame knowledge from a discussion question as fluctuating and flexible (Gershon, 2013). To achieve
this, use the word “might” in framing questions, since this focuses students on arriving at carefully
thought-out answers to justify their “might”, rather than seeking for a singular fact-based answer to the
question (Gershon, 2013). For example, rather than asking “what do you think causes stomach aches?”
ask “why might your stomach start to hurt after consuming a large meal?” since this focuses student on
thinking about the possible reasons for a stomach ache, encouraging them to reason and analyze.
 Still, even if these strategies are implemented, they are unlikely to succeed unless the teacher
considers the type of learning environment that is set up for discussions. That is to say, the use of IBL
and issue focused questions will be ineffective if students do not feel secure enough to express ideas
and take risks (Vieira, Tenreiro-Vieira, & Martins, 2011). In order to avoid this, science teachers should
encourage attributes such as open-mindedness, fair-mindedness, fallibilism, and intellectual
perseverance (Bailin & Battersby, 2016). What’s more, teachers should practice celebrating both the
success and failure of students engaging with challenging questions and discussions (Vieira, Tenreiro-
Vieira, & Martins, 2011).

II. Engagement

Questioning spikes curiosity and frames the process of acquiring information as one of discovery
rather than one of collecting and accepting facts (Caram & Davis, 2005). In order to foster engagement
and a feeling of discovery, teachers should begin by promoting open dialogue in response to questions
(Caram & Davis, 2005). That is to say, the teacher should encourage every student to discuss questions
and provide an answer, even if answers are wrong. Furthermore, harsh tones or dismissive comments
should be avoided when responding to answers that miss the mark of the questions. Instead, students
should be encouraged to share what they think about a concept, since the risks are much lower and
students can feel more comfortable engaging (Gershon, 2013). For example, asking students “what do
you know about gravity?” is a much better question than “is gravity a pushing or pulling force?”

Allow students enough time to evaluate and think about the question. It can be highly demotivation
and disengaging as a student to have the teacher begin asking for answers or move on before you’ve
even had a chance to engage with the question. As a guideline, allow students up to 30 seconds to
consider the question before inviting them to share and discuss (Gershon, 2013).

Avoid constructing questions that can be given a single, fact based answer as this discourages
students from engaging due to the fear of being wrong (Gershon, 2013). For example, asking students
whether or not prohibiting cell phones in school is a good policy or not is beyond a fact based answer
and requires students to engage in multiple concepts and ideas while discussing the question.
Alternatively, asking students what the cell phone policy at the school is may be more daunting, as
students feel the teacher is looking for a much more specific answer.

Throughout a lesson, use a variety of question structures that require different depths of knowledge
(Caram & Davis, 2005) (Table 1). More specifically, one can use novel questions to chunk lesson content
and activities, thereby refocusing student’s attention and engagement at points throughout.
Furthermore, students of today appeal to the opportunity to socialize and share their thoughts. Simply
providing the students short opportunities throughout class to discuss concepts in a structured way
lends its self to engagement (Caram & Davis, 2005).

III. Differentiation

Questioning can be a useful instrument for differentiation. For starters, questions can be framed to
require either more concrete thinking or more abstract thinking (Gershon, 2013). For example, asking
“why do objects fall down?” is a rather concrete question that will allow most of the class to come up
with an answer and participate. At the same time, however, a teacher could also pose the question “will
all objects fall downward at the same rate?” which is more abstract and open ended, allowing stronger
students to broaden their thinking and deepen their understanding. Thus, questioning easily allows one
to challenge both weak students and strong students. For even more effective questioning however,
teachers may choose to combine a mixture of both concrete questions with abstract questions in a line
of questioning known as Socratic questioning (Smart and Marshall, 2012). In this case, teachers begin by
posing concrete questions that will ultimately lead into a more abstract question. After students answer
the concrete question, teachers will probe further, asking students to clarify and justify, and eventually
posing a more abstract pre-planned follow up question. By developing a series of sequential questions
that blend concrete and abstract together in a gradual pace, teachers can allow a variety of students to
engage in both lower and higher discussion content (Smart and Marshall, 2012).

Questioning can also be used to cover a variety of learning preferences (Gershon, 2013). That is to
say, questions can be posed visually on the board or asked verbally. Furthermore, questions can involve
a mixture of discussion and group work where they can verbally share answers, or individual thinking
and writing down answers. Using a mixture of ways to pose questions and allow answers will ultimately
allow the teacher to meet more student needs in class (Gershon, 2013).

Science 10

Unit A: Energy and Matter in Chemical Change (Chemistry)

 (IQ): What are some ways in which chemistry has been used in the past?
 (DQ): Why would it be important that we have a method for classifying matter?
 (DQ): How would you describe the difference between a chemical and physical change?
 (DQ): How did the law of conservation of mass lead Dalton to his idea of atoms?
 (DQ): Based upon the results of J.J. Thomson’s experiment, what would you conclude about
atoms?
 (DQ): Based upon the results of Ernest Rutherford’s experiment, what would you conclude
about atoms?
 (DQ): Why couldn’t J.J. Thomson’s theory of the atom explain Ernest Rutherford’s
experiment?
 (DQ): Why do you think an atom might need neutrons? (HINT: positives and positives repel,
and hydrogen needs no neutrons)
 (IQ): How many different patterns can you find in the periodic table?
 (DQ): Why do you think as you move down the alkali metals they react more violently?
 (DQ): Why might it be more useful to draw a Lewis dot diagram than a Bohr diagram?
 (DQ): What makes an ion different from an atom?
 (DQ): What differences are there between ionic and molecular compounds?
 (IQ): What characteristics separate ionic compounds from molecular compounds?
 (IQ): What similarities and differences are there between acids and bases?
 (IQ): What aspects make water an unusual molecule?
 (DQ): What do you know about endothermic and exothermic reactions? Can you provide
examples?
 (DQ): How is the Law of Conservation of mass related to chemical reactions?

Unit B: Energy Flow in Technological Systems (Physics)

 (DQ): What do you think physics is? What do you already know about physics?
 (DQ): Why do you think scientific notation and the common rules for significant digits are
important in physics?
 (DQ): How is a scalar quantity different from a vector quantity?
 (DQ): Why does it hurt more if you fall from a higher height than a smaller height?
 (DQ): Will all objects fall downward at the same velocity?
 (DQ): What do the units m/s and m/s2 describe?
 (DQ): Why might it be important to know how to draw a line of best fit?
 (DQ): If I push an object in outer space, giving it a velocity, will that object ever slow down?
 (DQ): How would you describe the difference between mass and weight?
 (DQ): How many examples of objects with potential energy can you think of?
 (DQ): How many examples of objects with kinetic energy can you think of?
 (DQ): How is potential energy and kinetic energy different?
 (DQ): In what way can potential energy and kinetic energy be similar?
 (DQ): What form of energy is in nearly every energy transformation?
 (DQ): What are the functions of a light bulb and a car engine? Is it possible to only receive
energy in the form of the intended purpose?

Unit C: Cycling of Matter in Living Systems (Biology)

 (DQ): What do you think biology is? What do you already know about biology?
 (DQ): What do you think are common characteristics between all living organisms?
 (DQ): How might living organisms arise?
 (DQ): Can you think of an example of energy entering or exiting a cell?
 (DQ): How many differences and similarities can you list between a plant cell and an animal
cell?
 (DQ): Why might a cell need cell membranes?
 (DQ): How many analogies can you think of for passive transport?
 (DQ): How are active transport and passive transport similar and different?
 (DQ): Do you think a cells surface area and volume ration is important? If so, how do you
think they might be related?
 (DQ): What do you know about plants and photosynthesis?
 (DQ): How do you think life would change if humans could perform photosynthesis?
 (DQ): Do you think the stomata would be open or closed during photosynthesis?
 (DQ): Do you think the stomata would be open or closed during the day or night?
 (DQ): Why do you think plant stems grow upward but roots grow downward?

Biology 20

Unit A: Energy and Matter Exchange in the Biosphere

 (IQ): To what extent has the earth’s albedo changed as a result of global warming? What
 (DQ): Why do you think there are typically no more than four or five trophic levels in a food
chain?
 (DQ): How are food webs different from food chains?
 (DQ): Why do you think pyramids of numbers do not always result in the standard upright
pyramid shape?
 (DQ): In what type of ecosystem might you see an inverted pyramid of biomass?
 (DQ): What do you think would happen if decomposers were removed from a food chain?
 (DQ): What might happen if Biodiversity in an area was decreased?
 (IQ): Will toxins, such as DDT, follow the rule of 10? What implications might arise from
this?
 (DQ): Why do you think it is important that water is less dense in it’s solid, frozen state?
 (DQ): How might we get snow and hail in the form of precipitation rather than rain?
 (DQ): How might human activity influence the slow cycling of carbon?
 (DQ): What is unique about the phosphorus cycle compared to the other 3 cycles of matter?
 (IQ): To what extent do human activities impact the cycles of matter? What can be done to
support sustainability?

Unit B: Ecosystems and Population Change

 (DQ): How is the concept of ecotones connected to the concept of biodiversity?

 (DQ): In what ways do you think a habitat differs from a niche?
 (DQ): In what way might niches be an important aspect of an ecosystem?
 (DQ): How is parasitism different from predation?
 (DQ): What other factors might apply to the law of tolerance other than temperature?
 (IQ): To what extent do invasive/foreign species disrupt ecosystems?
 (DQ): Would you expect high or low levels of precipitation in a muskeg ecosystem? What
degree of biodiversity do you think you’d find in a muskeg ecosystem?
 (DQ): Why might you find many primary consumers in the limnetic zone of a lake?
 (DQ): Does it make sense that you’d find bacteria and detritivores largely in the profundal
zone of a lake? Why?
 (DQ): Which form of deforestation would you advice a company to perform if you had to?
 (DQ): Why do you think we’ve moved away from extinguishing forest fires immediately all
the time?
 (DQ): What are some benefits and disadvantages to both sexual and asexual reproduction?
 (DQ): How would you describe the difference between a variation and an adaptation?
 (DQ): In what ways are evolution via acquired characteristics different from that of
evolution via natural selection?
 (DQ): Why do you think a pelvis and femur are still found in whale abdomens even though
they provide no function?
 (IQ): To what extent is there enough or not enough evidence to justify the theory of
evolution via natural selection?
 (IQ): Why has natural selection not removed senescence (aging)?

Unit C: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

 (DQ): Why do you think leaves are green in color?

 (IQ): In the fall, what color do the leaves change and why do they change this color?
 (DQ): Are the names light and dark reaction the most appropriate?
 (IQ): What factors will affect the rate at which photosynthesis occurs?
 (DQ): What uses can arise from cellular respiration?
 (DQ): What step will you find in both anaerobic and aerobic cellular respiration?
 (DQ): Do you think cellular respiration is an efficient process?
 (DQ): What tends to happen if you run for too long? How might this feeling relate to cellular
respiration?

Unit D: Human Systems

 (DQ): Why might marathon runners want to consume a large amount of carbohydrates a
few days prior to a big race?
 (DQ): Do you think there is any merit to the common suggestion that “eating carbs will
make you fat”?
 (DQ): Do you think you could eat food or drink water while being upside down? Why?
 (DQ): Why might your stomach start to hurt sometimes after consuming a large meal?
 (DQ): Have you had heartburn or heard someone say they’ve had heartburn? How do you
think heartburn occurs?
 (DQ): Do you think it is a problem that HCl breaks down protein, yet your stomach and small
intestine are made up of protein? If so, how do you think your stomach and small intestine
will combat this.
 (DQ): If we don’t digest cellulose (Fibre), why do you think it is still a concern that we are
getting enough fibre in our diets?
 (DQ): Is emulsification more similar to chewing or to enzymatic action?
 (DQ): Has your food or drink ever went down the “wrong way”? What do you think that
expression really means?
 (DQ): When do you seem to usually get hiccups? Why do you think you get hiccups during
that specific time?
 (IQ): How can you win a breath holding competition?
 (DQ): Why might it be a very good thing that we faint if we lose too much oxygen? (HINT:
It’s a defense mechanism)
 (DQ): In what ways are bronchitis and asthma similar and different?
 (DQ): Why do you think your heart races after even mild exercise?
 (DQ): Can you think of any professions that might cause someone to develop varicose
veins?
 (DQ): How would you describe the sound your heart makes? What do you think might be
the cause of this sound?
 (IQ): How would you predict exercise will affect blood pressure and pulse?
References:

Bailin, S. & Battersby, M. (2016). Reason in the Balance: An Inquiry Approach to Critical Thinking (2nd ed).
Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

Bedford, D. (2010). Agnotology as a teaching tool: Learning climate science by studying misinformation.
Journal of Geography, 109(4), 159-165.

Caram, C. & Davis, P. (2005). Inviting student engagement with questioning. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 19-
23.

Duran, M. & Dokme, I. (2016). The effect of the inquiry-based learning approach on students critical-
thinking skills. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science, & Technology Education, 12(12),
2887-2908.

Gershon, M. (2013). What makes a good question? The Times Educational Supplement, 2301, 26-30.

Smart, J. & Marshall, C. (2012). Interactions between classroom discourse, teacher questioning, and
student cognitive engagement in middle school science. Journal of Science Teacher
Education, 24(1), 249-267.

Vieira, R. M., Tenreiro-Vieira, C., & Martins, I. P. (2011). Critical thinking: Conceptual clarification and its
importance in science education. Science Education International, 22(1), 43-54.