Questioning is indeed one of the fundamental skills a teacher should develop in education. Effective questioning techniques act as a headstrong tool in developing higher-order thinking within students. Such effective questioning methods go beyond simple recall and comprehension and prod learners toward analysis, evaluation, and creation. These higher-order thinking skills are relevant in equipping students with abilities to navigate complex problems, think critically, and apply knowledge innovatively. Artfully developed questions can draw students into deeper learning experiences and create a more engaging, interactive classroom. For example, open-ended questions encourage students to consider multiple perspectives and foster reasoning. Unlike closed questions that require a specific answer, open-ended ones invite students to think deeper about their thoughts and look at subjects from different angles. This question opens more options for answering, and therefore, the possibility of discussion and argument. Through the process of expressing one’s thoughts and opinions and arguing to protect those opinions, students begin to develop their critical thinking skills and learn to appreciate the richness of many different issues.

Another important strategy that will form a classroom environment in which dialogue and questioning are used as a means of learning is Socratic questioning. It is the process of questioning a student with a view to lead him to think out and express the thoughts or principles involved in a subject. It is through this process of questioning that teachers take students through a reflective process of belief and assumption testing to reach a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Socratic questioning develops not only cognitions but also yields a culture of curiosity and lifelong learning. It empowers students to question information critically, thereby seeking evidence in forming well-founded conclusions.

The teacher helps the students to make connections among concepts and strengthen understanding by using questions tactfully to guide the class discussions; an avenue is created for the learners to learn how to think independently. This therefore calls for the teachers to have the skills of formulating challenging relevant questions that suit the students’ objectives of learning. Questioning is one of the key competencies that should be acquired to endow learners with intellectual skills to thrive in an increasingly complicated world. Questioning strategies, as a priority in teaching methods, can assist teachers in creating an enabling environment that encourages a higher level of thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Written by:

Aries A. Altiche
Teacher III, A. DELA ROSA ES