Effective Science Inquiry & Questioning Techniques

A scientific question is a sentence which has an interrogative form or function about a scientific issue. In the science classroom settings, teacher questions and inquiries are defined as instructional prompts or incentives that send to students the basic material to be learned and how to grasp the new knowledge. This presentation focuses on the relationship between teachers' classroom questioning behaviors and a variety of student outcomes, including achievement, retention, and level of student participation. Based on the prior studies on classroom questioning there is a very important role for using effective questioning techniques into classroom teaching/learning practices. Questions should shed light on the relevant elements in the lesson. Science teachers should avoid questioning students about unnecessary material. When teaching students real life content, maintain an abrupt instructional pace, regularly posing lower cognitive questions. In settings where higher cognitive questions are appropriate, teach students strategies for drawing inferences. Keep wait-time to about three seconds when conducting recitations involving a majority of lower cognitive questions. Increase wait-time beyond three seconds when asking higher cognitive questions. Be particularly careful to allow generous amounts of wait-time to students perceived as lower ability. Use redirection and probing as part of classroom questioning and keep these focused on salient elements of students' responses. Avoid vague or critical responses to student answers during recitations. During recitations, use praise sparingly and make certain it is sincere, credible, and directly connected to the students' responses.