Questioning is a common feature of classroom teaching. Brualdi’s (1998) research suggests that many teachers ask more than 300 questions per day! In order to support our pupils’ progress, we need to think carefully about the way that we construct and use questions in the classroom. Cotton’s (1988) research illuminates some helpful evidence about effective questioning:
- Verbal questions are more effective than written questions
- Lessons where pupils are posed with questions have a greater impact than lessons where pupils are not
- Asking questions frequently is particularly supportive of fact-learning
- Utilises questioning during independent practice to check pupil understanding and monitor learning
- Stretches pupils by asking follow-on questions to their answers
- Probes pupils to elaborate on their answers
Both lessons in this video offered valuable insights into how questioning can be used to deepen pupils’ thinking. In the first lesson, I was impressed by the way the teacher structured questions to build progressively on pupils’ responses. The scaffolding was clear, and the follow-up prompts encouraged learners to move beyond surface-level answers. This kind of layered questioning is an excellent model for early career teachers to emulate, as it demonstrates how to sustain cognitive challenge while keeping pupils engaged.
The second lesson also had strong elements, particularly in the way the teacher encouraged pupils to explain their reasoning. However, it felt somewhat incomplete, as though the questioning cycle was cut short. For example, after pupils offered initial answers, there was scope to extend the dialogue further perhaps by inviting peers to critique or build on each other’s ideas or by posing a “what if” scenario to push thinking into new directions. Doing so would have allowed the class to see how questioning can evolve into a collaborative exploration rather than a series of isolated exchanges.
My advice to the teachers would be to think of questioning not just as a tool for eliciting responses but as a way of modelling curiosity and intellectual risk-taking. When pupils are given time and encouragement to challenge each other’s ideas, they begin to see questioning as part of the learning culture rather than something that ends when the teacher moves on. Both lessons are strong starting points but the second one could be strengthened by showing the full arc of questioning from initial prompt, to deeper probing, to reflective discussion.