Effective Questioning

Answer

The second question is a much more effective question than the first because…

You could have listed the below reasons in your justification:

Question 1

– This is a closed question that requires a specific response. It encourages fact finding rather than for the teacher to ascertain what their pupils’ knowledge and understanding is in regard to the content that they will be teaching them. This is a common misconception regarding the purpose of a question.

– As this question is only challenging pupils’ to provide a very specific answer, it will not develop their critical thinking skills, communication skills, ability to explore diverse perspectives, their empathy, understanding of the impact that historical events have on contemporary society or their ability to critically evaluate historical sources.

– It’s very difficult to answer this question as there is no exact number that a pupil can provide as a correct answer. Rather, only an estimate can be provided. Therefore, the particular phrasing of this question will create the misconception that there is a specific correct answer.

Question 2

– This is an open question that will inspire greater engagement by encouraging discussion and promoting pupils’ higher-order thinking.

– It will also enable the teacher to ascertain what their pupils’ knowledge and understanding is in regard to the content that they are teaching them.

– This question will challenge pupils to develop their communication skills as well as a number of other following skills:
1. Their critical thinking skills
2. Their ability to explore diverse perspectives
3. Develop their empathy
4. Their understanding of the impact that historical events have on contemporary society
5. Their ability to critically evaluate historical sources

– It will enable the pupils to ask for clarification if they find the content challenging or unclear

– It will also enable the teacher to spot any misconceptions and to be able to address them.