asking questions.docVIP

Questioning 1 The importance of questions In most classrooms it is generally a fact that the teacher talks and the students listen. And it is also a fact that during the class hours the teacher asks questions and gives feedback to students’ responses. It is estimated that an average of 100 to 150 questions per class hour are asked in the typical elementary and secondary classroom. And 80% of all school time is devoted to questions and answers. So, questions play a crucial role in teaching. Questions are used to provide the opportunities for students’ output and this “pushed output” helps students to reconstruct their inter-language. The use of questions is an important part of teaching. Teacher questioning is a critical skill for teachers. It has an important impact in learning because it is the most common form of interaction between the teacher and the students in the classroom. It is an element that can be found in any type of a lesson. Questioning is also a necessary part in teaching and an essential skill for conducting a variety of activities and tasks in the classroom. Although questions can be effective in investigations, enquiry and the development of understanding, it doesn’t mean the more questions, the better. Questions should be wise and purposeful, contributing to the overall objectives of a lesson, stimulating the development of knowledge and thinking, and helping to maintain effective interaction. 2 Purposes and functions in asking questions Questioning is a commonly used technique in teaching. But why is it so important in classroom instruction? What are the purposes of questioning？ In the classroom a teacher may ask questions for various purposes. Generally speaking, questions are asked mainly for the following reasons: To stimulate recall of information; To check students’ knowledge and focus attention on a particular issue or concept; To provide an opportunity for students to assimilate and reflect upon information; To elicit informatio