Student Learning

Prep to Year 10 Assessment – Assessment Advice

Discussion starter 4

Read the following quote and consider the discussion starter questions

A particular feature of the talk between teacher and students is the asking of questions by the teacher. This natural and direct way of checking on learning is often unproductive. One common problem is that, following a question, teachers do not wait long enough to allow students to think out their answers. When a teacher answers their own question after only two or three seconds and when a minute of silence is not tolerable, there is no possibility that a student can think out what to say.

There are then two consequences. One is that, because the only questions that can produce answers in such a short time are questions of fact, these predominate. The other is that students don't even try to think out a response. Because they know that the answer, followed by another question, will come along in a few seconds, there is no point in trying. It is also generally the case that only a few students in a class answer the teacher's questions. The rest then leave it to these few, knowing that they cannot respond as quickly and being unwilling to risk making mistakes in public. So the teacher, by lowering the level of questions and by accepting answers from a few, can keep the lesson going but is actually out of touch with the understanding of most of the class. The question and answer dialogue becomes a ritual, one in which thoughtful involvement suffers.

There are several ways to break this particular cycle. They involve giving students time to respond; asking them to discuss their thinking in pairs or in small groups, so that a respondent is speaking on behalf of others; giving students a choice between different possible answers and asking them to vote on the options; asking all of them to write down an answer and then reading out a selected few; and so on. What is essential is that any dialogue should evoke thoughtful reflection in which all students can be encouraged to take part, for only then can the formative process start to work. In short, the dialogue between students and a teacher should be thoughtful, reflective, focused to evoke and explore understanding, and conducted so that all students have an opportunity to think and to express their ideas.

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. 1998. Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom assessment, King’s College London

Discussion starter questions

  • Consider your practice and discuss how questioning occurs in your classroom and discuss.
  • Give and find examples of how good questioning can be used and to what effect.
  • In what ways can you improve the questioning in your classroom from tomorrow?