Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 14 Instructional Methods 313 Questioning There is no skill more basic to teaching than the ability to use questions effectively. They are a key part of almost every learning activity. Teachers use questions for many purposes (Figure 14.4). Throughout your years as a student, you have answered thousands of questions, both oral and written. As a teacher, it will be your responsibility to decide when questions are appropriate, how to ask them, and how best to respond to students’ answers. Begin now to pay more attention to the ways your teachers utilize questioning. As you practice developing questions of your own, keep these guidelines in mind: ■ Plan questions along with the lesson. Preplanning questions allows time to make sure they match your learning objectives and the wording is clear. They provide a structure for the lesson. As the lesson progresses, you can add or modify questions, but having the original plan helps keep the lesson on track. ■ Ask questions of varying difficulty. Look again at Figure 13.8 to review Bloom’s Taxonomy. Focus on the sample questions. Questions at different levels serve specific purposes. For example, simpler questions can check for understanding and comprehension. Just be sure to include questions from all levels appropriate for the abilities of the students. ■ Include open-ended questions. Using open-ended questions, ones that require deeper thought and more than a few words as an answer, generally encourages higher-level thinking. For instance, “How does the author view the importance of sustainability?” requires deeper thinking and a more extensive answer than “Can you tell what the author thinks about sustainability?” which is a yes or no question. Questions Have Many Purposes Generate interest Stimulate learning Check for comprehension Encourage participation Develop thinking skills Evaluate learning Figure 14.4 Teachers use questions to elicit different responses from students.