Train-the-Trainer by DataHomeLab

3.6 Putting the Question

The manner you use can contribute immensely towards the tone of a classroom, and consequently their morale. You are not an inquisitor, and you should not ask the question with the sole aim of seeing how much a student knows. Your questions should rather attempt to stimulate students towards the solving of the problem. You should ask questions in a pleasant, easy manner, not too hurriedly, and not in a manner likely to create a nervous tension in the student and block his thinking.

Try to scatter your questions as much as possible. Prod along those who are not taking part. Resist the temptation to ask only those who proffer an answer even though by doing so you can get on with the lesson. Remember that your questions discourage straying of attention when every student realises that he will not escape by keeping his hand down.

Once a question has been asked, do not be in haste to withdraw it either to re-phrase it or ask a further question. Modifications are always confusing to someone who has begun to think of an answer to your original question. If a question is badly constructed, cancel it by saying "Well, let me put it in another way", before a second version is attempted.

3.6.1 Purposes of Questioning in a Lesson

In lesson structure, the three major components of the lesson are the introduction, the development and the conclusion. The instructor can use questioning in all three components for the following purposes:

Introduction

  • Stimulate interest.
  • Revise / link to previous knowledge.
  • Establish need.

Body

  • Maintain interest.
  • Establish key points.
  • Check application of key points.
  • Check progress.
  • Focus attention.

Conclusion

  • Evaluate student mastery of objectives by checking recall and application of key points.

3.6.2 Questioning during the Introduction

The introduction of the lesson is where the instructor gains the students' attention through interest and motivation. This may be done, for example, by the instructor telling an anecdote based on some previous experience that led to the occurrence of an incident. The class may then be questioned to determine how that incident could have been avoided, leading on to the lesson topic. Also, if the instructor is giving a lesson following on from a previous lesson, facts from the previous lesson that are pertinent to the new lesson may be recalled through questioning. If the lesson is the first of a series on a subject, the instructor may use questioning to link some similar previous subjects to the present subject. For example, if the present subject is aircraft hydraulics, the instructor may link this through questions to the students' previous knowledge of a car's hydraulic braking system.

3.6.3 Questioning during Lesson Body

The development of the lesson is where facts, concepts and principles (hereafter called key points) are established. Here, the instructor can stimulate greatest student mental activity by asking questions that guide student thought so that the students discover and establish the key points of the lesson. As well as stimulating student thought, the instructor should seek to maintain the interest generated initially in the introduction by linking questions to knowledge and experiences familiar to the student. Knowledge is useless to the trainee unless the trainee can apply that knowledge to situations that will arise on the job.

Questions can be used by the instructor to check application of knowledge by the student.

3.6.4 Questioning during the Conclusion

The consolidation, in terms of questioning, is the most important component of the lesson. It provides feedback to the instructor on the effectiveness of the lesson. Similarly, it should provide feedback to the students on the effectiveness of their learning by how well they achieved the lesson objectives. Instructor feedback and student feedback can be achieved by creating the opportunity for questions from the student. Following this, the instructor asks questions which check student recall and application of the major key points established throughout all steps of the development. To consolidate a lesson without asking questions is to deny both the instructor and students any effective feedback on their performance.

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