Questioning: Nature and Types

 

1. Nature of Questioning in the Classroom

Questioning is not just about “checking knowledge.” It is one of the most potent tools of discourse in the hands of a teacher.

• Interactive tool: Questions keep students alert, curious, and involved.

• Diagnostic tool: They help the teacher identify what students know, think, or misunderstand.

• Pedagogical tool: Questions guide the flow of the lesson and scaffold learning.

• Motivational tool: They encourage participation and confidence.

👉 In short: Classroom questioning = bridge between teaching and learning.

2. Types of Questions with Examples

(A) Based on Purpose

1. Knowledge/Recall Questions

   • Aim: Test memory of facts, definitions, or events.

   • Example: “Who wrote the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’?”

   • Nature: Lower-order (Bloom’s Taxonomy).

2. Comprehension Questions

   • Aim: Check understanding, not just recall.

   • Example: “Explain in your own words why the French Revolution started.”

   • Nature: Moves beyond rote learning.

3. Application Questions

   • Aim: Use knowledge in new situations.

   • Example: “How would you apply Newton’s laws to explain why a bus jerks when brakes are applied suddenly?”

4. Analysis Questions

   • Aim: Break concepts into parts and examine relationships.

   • Example: “Compare and contrast democracy and dictatorship. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?”

5. Synthesis (Creation) Questions

   • Aim: Combine ideas to form something new.

   • Example: “Design a campaign to create awareness about climate change in your school.”

6. Evaluation Questions

   • Aim: To judge the value or validity of ideas.

   • Example: “Do you think technology is always helpful in education? Give reasons.”

👉 These align with Bloom’s Taxonomy (Knowledge → Comprehension → Application → Analysis → Synthesis → Evaluation).

(B) Based on Form

1. Closed Questions

   • Have one correct answer.

   • Example: “What is the capital of Japan?”

   • Quick checks, but limited for deeper thinking.

2. Open Questions

   • Allow multiple possible answers.

   • Example: “Why do you think people migrate to cities?”

   • Encourages creativity, discussion, and critical thinking.

(C) Based on Cognitive Demand

1. Lower-Order Questions

   • Recall and understanding.

   • Example: “Define osmosis.”

2. Higher-Order Questions

   • Involve application, reasoning, evaluation, and creativity.

   • Example: “How would you design an experiment to test osmosis in potatoes?”

(D) Based on the Teacher’s Strategy

1. Probing Questions

   • Dig deeper into a student’s response.

   • Example:

     • Student: “Water boils at 100°C.”

     • Teacher: “Yes, but what happens at higher altitudes? Does it still boil at 100°C?”

2. Redirecting Questions

   • Pass a question to another student.

   • Example: “Ravi says the Earth rotates on its axis. Meena, do you agree? Why or why not?”

3. Prompting Questions

   • Provide hints to help students reach the answer.

   • Example: “It’s a kind of energy we get from the sun. Starts with ‘S’…”

4. Divergent Questions

   • Open-ended, encourage multiple answers.

   • Example: “What are different ways we can save electricity at school?”

5. Convergent Questions

   • Lead to a single correct answer.

   • Example: “What is H₂O commonly called?”

6. Rhetorical Questions

   • Asked for emphasis, not to get an actual response.

   • Example: “Do we really want a polluted environment for our children?”

7. Factual Questions

   • Seek specific information.

   • Example: “When did India gain independence?”

8. Conceptual Questions

   • Focus on understanding principles.

   • Example: “Why does ice float on water?”

9. Reflective Questions

   • Make learners think about their own thinking.

   • Example: “Which strategy helped you solve this problem, and why?”

3. Importance of Variety in Questioning

• Keeps students engaged and active.

• Promotes higher-order thinking skills.

• Helps in formative assessment.

• Creates an inclusive learning environment by catering to learners at different levels.

How to Write Properly in Exams

👉 “Questioning is an essential part of classroom discourse. Its nature is purposeful, interactive, diagnostic, and motivational. Types of questions include recall, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (based on Bloom’s taxonomy); open and closed; lower-order and higher-order; and teacher strategies such as probing, redirecting, prompting, divergent, convergent, rhetorical, factual, conceptual, and reflective. Questioning ensures student participation, encourages critical thinking, and deepens learning.”

⚡ Quick Recap Mnemonic for Types of Questions (FOR EXAMS):

• Bloom’s Ladder: K-C-A-A-S-E (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation).

• Form: Open vs Closed.

• Cognitive Demand: Lower vs Higher order.

• Teacher Strategy: P-R-P-D-C-R-F-C-R (Probing, Redirecting, Prompting, Divergent, Convergent, Rhetorical, Factual, Conceptual, Reflective).