Why is questioning so important to Assessment for learning?
Questioning is the key means by which teachers find out what
pupils already know, identify gaps in knowledge and
understanding and scaffold the development of their
understanding to enable them to close the gap between what they
currently know and the learning goals.
Questions are the most common form of interaction between pupils and
teachers, yet research suggests that the majority are recall and
comprehension - lower order questions which do not require pupils to
actively process information. It is only in active processing that the pupil
achieves deep level learning. In order to raise pupils' levels of
achievement they therefore need regular practice in higher order
thinking - analysing, synthesising and evaluating. Focusing on the kinds
of questions we ask in classrooms and the strategies we use can help
us achieve this.