The teachers were also asked to categorise the questions they asked and reflect on the number of different types of questions they typically asked. Figure 2 shows whether their answers reflected an increase, reduction or no change in the number of each question type asked. The teachers were asked about the purpose of their questions both before and after the workshop. Typically they considered that before the workshop the purposes of their question had been (in no particular order): Assess understanding to(AfL)/during/after teaching Scaffold learning Identify misconceptions Prompt thinking and initiate discussion Recap previous learning Following the workshop there appears a shift in the purposes of their questions. The same purposes stated above still applied, however, the following reasons also appeared: More emphasis on deeper thinking Allowing pupils to find things out for themselves Peer and self-assessment Check deeper understanding of a concept Improved phrasing of questions Allow children to reflect on own learning More follow up questions Extend more able children Teachers were also asked about the benefits and drawbacks of each of the three question types explored during the workshop, now that they had had an opportunity to use them in the classroom. A score of 5 was used to indicate substantial benefits through to 1 for substantial drawbacks; 0 indicated don’t know. Figure 3 summarises the teachers’ responses. Some teachers did indicate that the three question types were not without drawbacks however the overwhelming number of 4 and 5 scores indicate that overall the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Further the teachers were asked to state the benefits and drawbacks of each question type. A summary of their responses follows: Hinge Point Question Benefits Highlights misconceptions Every child shows a response I know to take the learning next (move on or not) Quick and easy to fit in a lesson Can identify children who need support Higher order thinking is required Hinge Point Question Drawbacks Hard to write and takes time to write them
The teachers were also asked to categorise the questions they asked and reflect on the number of different types of questions they typically asked. Figure 2 shows whether their answers reflected an increase, reduction or no change in the number of each question type asked. The teachers were asked about the purpose of their questions both before and after the workshop. Typically they considered that before the workshop the purposes of their question had been (in no particular order): Assess understanding to(AfL)/during/after teaching Scaffold learning Identify misconceptions Prompt thinking and initiate discussion Recap previous learning Following the workshop there appears a shift in the purposes of their questions. The same purposes stated above still applied, however, the following reasons also appeared: More emphasis on deeper thinking Allowing pupils to find things out for themselves Peer and self-assessment Check deeper understanding of a concept Improved phrasing of questions Allow children to reflect on own learning More follow up questions Extend more able children Teachers were also asked about the benefits and drawbacks of each of the three question types explored during the workshop, now that they had had an opportunity to use them in the classroom. A score of 5 was used to indicate substantial benefits through to 1 for substantial drawbacks; 0 indicated don’t know. Figure 3 summarises the teachers’ responses. Some teachers did indicate that the three question types were not without drawbacks however the overwhelming number of 4 and 5 scores indicate that overall the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Further the teachers were asked to state the benefits and drawbacks of each question type. A summary of their responses follows: Hinge Point Question Benefits Highlights misconceptions Every child shows a response I know to take the learning next (move on or not) Quick and easy to fit in a lesson Can identify children who need support Higher order thinking is required Hinge Point Question Drawbacks Hard to write and takes time to write them
Specific_Question_Types_Clare_Warren.docx