How to use classroom How to use classroom questioning and feedback questioning and feedback effectively in English KLAeffectively in English KLA

Salesian Yip Hon Millennium Primary School YUNG Pui-yan, Candy

HKTA YYI Chan Lui Chung Tak Memorial SchoolWOO Sze-wan, Emily

School-based Curriculum Development (Primary) SectionFUNG Ho-kwan Jeanda

Inspection Annual ReportsInspection Annual Reports

60% of the teachers in schools which underwent ESR 60% of the teachers in schools which underwent ESR have :have :

adopted questioning as a teaching strategy adopted questioning as a teaching strategy asked graded questions to expand the scope of asked graded questions to expand the scope of

students’ thinkingstudents’ thinking given prompt follow-up to the responses from given prompt follow-up to the responses from

studentsstudents

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the quality of teachers’ questioning skills the quality of teachers’ questioning skills

‘‘Some teachers gave answer instantly to the Some teachers gave answer instantly to the questions they asked or tended to look for an questions they asked or tended to look for an answer from students that would fit in their pre-answer from students that would fit in their pre-determined one.’determined one.’

the quality of teachers’ feedback the quality of teachers’ feedback

‘‘Some teachers only give students commonplace Some teachers only give students commonplace praise, agreement, a ‘no’ response or the ‘correct’ praise, agreement, a ‘no’ response or the ‘correct’ answers. There is a need for more feedback which answers. There is a need for more feedback which better promotes students’ self-improvement.’better promotes students’ self-improvement.’

Need improvement in:

Our observations in the classroomOur observations in the classroom

Most teachers use direct questioning, very few Most teachers use direct questioning, very few teacher modeling to provide explicit strategies for teacher modeling to provide explicit strategies for students.students.

Teachers, being highly skilled readers themselves, Teachers, being highly skilled readers themselves, are not aware of the fact that they need to make are not aware of the fact that they need to make explicit those comprehension strategies to their explicit those comprehension strategies to their studentsstudents

Although teachers spoke of ‘teaching’ Although teachers spoke of ‘teaching’ comprehension skills, actually what they referred to comprehension skills, actually what they referred to was ‘exercising’ them.was ‘exercising’ them.

Even though teacher/student interactions are there, Even though teacher/student interactions are there, most of them are ‘surface interaction’ characterized most of them are ‘surface interaction’ characterized by rapid exchange of questions and answers.by rapid exchange of questions and answers.

1. Rationale 1. Rationale - Jerome Bruner’s four models of - Jerome Bruner’s four models of pedagogypedagogy 2. 2. Question DesignQuestion Design - Bloom’s Taxonomy of questions- Bloom’s Taxonomy of questions

3. 3. Tactics in questioning andTactics in questioning and responding responding - - classroom applicationclassroom application

Today’s focus

►asas imitative learnersimitative learners??►asas

learning from didactic experienceslearning from didactic experiences??►asas thinkersthinkers??►asas knowledge buildersknowledge builders??

THE CULTURE OF EDUCATIONBy Jerome BrunerHarvard Univ. Press, 1996

Jerome Bruner’s four models of Jerome Bruner’s four models of

pedagogypedagogy Do we think our children/students ….Do we think our children/students ….

►The The first first views the student as an views the student as an imitative learner and focuses on imitative learner and focuses on passing on skills and "know-how" passing on skills and "know-how" through example and demonstrative through example and demonstrative action. action.

►The The secondsecond views students as learning views students as learning from didactic exposure. It is based on from didactic exposure. It is based on the idea that learners should be the idea that learners should be presented with facts, principles, and presented with facts, principles, and rules of action which are to be learned, rules of action which are to be learned, remembered, and then applied. remembered, and then applied.

► The The thirdthird sees children as thinkers and foc sees children as thinkers and focuses on the development of inter-subjectiuses on the development of inter-subjective interchange. This model revolves arouve interchange. This model revolves around how the child makes sense of his or her nd how the child makes sense of his or her world. It stresses the value of discussion aworld. It stresses the value of discussion and collaboration. nd collaboration.

►The The fourthfourth model views children as model views children as knowledgeable and stresses the knowledgeable and stresses the management of "objective" management of "objective" knowledge. This perspective holds that knowledge. This perspective holds that teaching should help children grasp teaching should help children grasp the distinction between personal the distinction between personal knowledge, on the one hand, and knowledge, on the one hand, and "what is taken to be known" by the "what is taken to be known" by the culture, on the other.culture, on the other.

► Modern pedagogy is moving increasingly Modern pedagogy is moving increasingly to the view that the child should be to the view that the child should be aware aware of his or her own thought processesof his or her own thought processes (models three and four) and that achieving (models three and four) and that achieving skills and accumulating knowledge skills and accumulating knowledge (models one and two) are not enough. (models one and two) are not enough.

► "What is needed," Bruner stresses, "is that "What is needed," Bruner stresses, "is that

the the four perspectives be fused into some four perspectives be fused into some congruent unity congruent unity

Bruner stresses that ….

Our belief shapes the way Our belief shapes the way we provide instructions…we provide instructions…

The purpose of asking The purpose of asking questionsquestions

Focus attention on a topic

Structure or guide the learning of a task

Challenge students

Reinforce learnt materials

Assess students

Revision of content

Control behavior of the class or individuals

Excite interest or curiosity

Encourage students to be actively engage

in learning

Evaluation purposes

Help students make connections

Identify gaps in students’ learning

Spark further questions Direct students’ thinking in a particular way. Gain feedback from students

about teaching Help students clarify their understanding Model questioning and thinking Motivate students to inquire

Why do we ask questions?Why do we ask questions?

Question designQuestion design

KnowledgeComprehensionApplicationAnalysisSynthesisEvaluation

Tactics in questioning and Tactics in questioning and responding responding

Classroom applicationClassroom application

StrategyStrategy DescriptionDescription ApplicationApplication

DemonstrateDemonstratelisteninglistening

Show your students you areShow your students you are

interested in their response. interested in their response. InitialInitial

response may be fragmented orresponse may be fragmented or

disjointed as students grapple todisjointed as students grapple to

clarify their ideas.clarify their ideas.

Use non-verbal signals suchUse non-verbal signals suchas facial expressions, a nod,as facial expressions, a nod,eye contact, sitting forwardeye contact, sitting forward

Sustain theSustain thequestionquestion

Use probes that encourageUse probes that encourage

clarification, extension orclarification, extension or

elaboration of a response.elaboration of a response.

Encourage a range of responsesEncourage a range of responses

to the one question.to the one question.

Does anyone have a differentDoes anyone have a different

opinion? Could you tell us a littleopinion? Could you tell us a little

more about that idea? Can youmore about that idea? Can you

provide some evidence toprovide some evidence to

support your view?support your view?

Allow waitAllow waittimetime

Learn to be comfortable withLearn to be comfortable with

the silences so that wait timethe silences so that wait time

is extended. Tell students whyis extended. Tell students why

you are waiting.you are waiting.

Use affirmative non-verbalUse affirmative non-verbal

signals that show engagementsignals that show engagement

and provide encouragement.and provide encouragement.

AppropriateAppropriatefeedbackfeedback

Affirm student responses butAffirm student responses but

avoid excessive praise whichavoid excessive praise which

may silence alternativemay silence alternative

responses.responses.

That’s an interesting point ofThat’s an interesting point of

view. Yes, that’s one way. Canview. Yes, that’s one way. Can

anyone add to that? Thank you anyone add to that? Thank you

for that ideafor that idea..More student dialogueMore student dialogue Redirect student responses orRedirect student responses or

comments. Breaking the sequencecomments. Breaking the sequencemakes students aware that talkmakes students aware that talkdoesn’t always have to be directedoesn’t always have to be directeddthrough the teacher andthrough the teacher andencourages student dialogue.encourages student dialogue.

Would anyone like to respondWould anyone like to respond

to that idea? What can youto that idea? What can you

add to that response? Howadd to that response? How

consistent is that responseconsistent is that response

with what you think?with what you think?

Invite students to elaborate: encourages students to develop more complex contributions (e.g. “Say a little more about…”)

Echo: helps students clarify their own thinking and shows they have been listened to (e.g. “So you think that …”)

leave very open for students to guess the answer - provide space for students to think

Make a personal contribution from your own experience: encourages students to offer contributions of their own, and see identification and empathy as useful tools (e.g. “I remember …”)

Make a suggestion: encourages students to offer their own suggestion or build on teacher’s suggestion (e.g. “You could try …”)

Let students explore a topic / a word with their five senses

Explore the unfamiliar words with students (encourage them to guess the meaning)

►Spoon-feeding questions give too Spoon-feeding questions give too much guidance and does not require much guidance and does not require students to develop analytic skills. students to develop analytic skills. Examples: Examples: "So we can say that, "So we can say that, vegetables, grain products are vegetables, grain products are healthy food. Isn't that right?"healthy food. Isn't that right?" These These types of questions tend to types of questions tend to force a force a predetermined answerpredetermined answer

Written by Drs. Nancy Lorsch and Shirley Ronkowski, 1982. Instructional Development, University of California, Santa Barbara. Reference: "Condensed Version of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives." In Bloom, Hastings, and Madaus (eds). Handboo

k on Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student Learning . 1971

Avoid spoon-feeding questions

Different responses to a question Different responses to a question are encouragedare encouraged

Students build on each other’s rStudents build on each other’s responsesesponses

Students are prepared to challenStudents are prepared to challenge or contest a responsege or contest a response

Students take risks and offer diveStudents take risks and offer divergent ideas and opinionsrgent ideas and opinions

Students generate questions for Students generate questions for discussions.discussions.

Student responses to Student responses to questions are put downquestions are put down

Teachers are seen as the Teachers are seen as the question-askers and students as question-askers and students as the question-answerersthe question-answerers

Students recited a response to Students recited a response to a question rather than discuss ita question rather than discuss it

Students are concerned with Students are concerned with expressing their viewpoint expressing their viewpoint rather than responding to what rather than responding to what someone else has said.someone else has said.

A questioning friendly classroom is a place where:

A questioning-friendly classroom is not a place where:

► Sheer imitation, dictation of steps to be taken, Sheer imitation, dictation of steps to be taken, mechanical drill, may give results most quickly amechanical drill, may give results most quickly and yet strengthen traits likely to be fatal to reflend yet strengthen traits likely to be fatal to reflective power. The pupil is enjoined to do this ….wctive power. The pupil is enjoined to do this ….with no knowledge of any reason except that by dith no knowledge of any reason except that by doing so he gets his result most speedily; his mistoing so he gets his result most speedily; his mistakes are pointed out and corrected for him; he is akes are pointed out and corrected for him; he is kept at pure repetition of certain acts till they bekept at pure repetition of certain acts till they become automatic. Later the teachers wonder whcome automatic. Later the teachers wonder why pupil reads with so little expression, and thinky pupil reads with so little expression, and thinks with so little intelligent consideration of the ters with so little intelligent consideration of the terms of his problem. A drill which ms of his problem. A drill which hardly toucheshardly touches mindmind at all.at all.

How we thinkJohn Dewey, 2007

► Bruner, J. (1996) The Culture of Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

► Bruner, J. (1990) Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

► Bruner, J. (1960) The Process of Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

► http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm► John Dewey. (2007) How we think. Book Jungle.► Brown, G., & Wragg, E. C. (1993). Questioning. London:

Routledge► Nancy Lorsch and Shirley Ronkowski. (1982). Condense

d Version of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. In Bloom, Hastings, and Madaus (eds). Instructional Development, University of California, Santa Barbara. Handbook on Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student Learning . 1971

Thank you