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In this bulletin we:
What Stops Students Answering
Questions?
Good Practice
Don't let the silence beat you! Teachers who ask good questions, and who have the
skills to get students to respond, create better learning opportunities for their
students. There are many reasons why students don't answer questions in class.
Some reasons lie with the students, and others may lie with you.
✓ Ask questions on the first day
of class. Explain why you are
doing so, e.g., “I need to know
if I am clear.”
Can anyone tell
me...?
I think I know the
answer but I'll feel
stupid if I'm wrong.
I know the
answer but I
don't want my
friends to
think I'm
showing off.
Last time when I gave
an answer, the teacher
just said "Wrong!"
Everyone laughed and
I felt brainless.
He's so
scary!
The answer is
so obvious.
Why is he
asking?
Someone else
will answer.
Why should I
bother?
If only I had a few
minutes to think
about this...
My English is not
very good. What if
people don't
understand me?
I don't
understand
the question
he's asking.
You can develop your skills so that students will feel comfortable and confident in
responding to the questions you put to them.
Asking Questions:
✓ Start off with questions that
most students will be able to
answer and increase the difficulty
as the semester progresses.
✓ Ask one question at a time.
✓ Display your questions to help
the students focus.
✓ Decide who you will direct the
question to. Questions that
require group answers are less
threatening than those directed
to individuals. As students learn
to trust you, call for individual
responses, or
Ayah! This 10
nominate someone
second waitto answer.
time seems to
✓ Tell students that
“I don’t know” is an
acceptable (and
sometimes excellent)
answer. From there,
learning can
happen.
be going on
forever.
✓ Give students time to think.
H.E.L.P.! is produced by the Educational Development Centre (EDC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University. Each bulletin focuses on understanding and addressing a teaching and learning problem that
a teacher has brought to EDC and which teachers commonly share.
©2008 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Two weeks ago, I gave my first year students a test which counted
for 10% of their final mark. The results were dismal. It was clear
they hadn’t understood much from my classes. A colleague
suggested that I should try asking questions in class. I would know
what they found difficult, and the students would also find out what they
didn’t know before it was too late. Since then, I have been asking questions but
no one answers and students avoid eye contact with me. Should I just give up?
A. Teacher
• Listen to students’
explanations about why they
don’t answer questions.
• Share good
question-asking
practices.
• Consider what is
involved in
planning good
questions.
• Suggest activities that
encourage students to answer
questions.
Getting Students' Answers: Practices and Activities
Planning Good Questions
Plan questions before your lesson to interest your students and help them learn.
When you plan, it is important to:
Recognise the difference between open and closed questions
Open questions demand students to think more and provide an opportunity for
productive interaction. Consider the difference between: “Does PolyU view
plagiarism as a serious disciplinary offence?” and “Why do you think PolyU views
plagiarism as a serious disciplinary offence?”
Think about the purpose of any question you ask
Don’t fall into the trap of only asking factual questions. Design questions that will
help students achieve the intended learning outcomes of any lesson.
For guidance in planning questions, see:
http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/teaching_tips/Other/asking_questions.pdf.pdf
Keep in mind the level of your students
✦ Don’t interrupt. Use gestures to show you are listening.
✦ If the class is large, repeat the students’ answer so that everyone can hear. If
necessary, clarify meaning by asking probing questions or paraphrasing the
students’ answers.
✦ Thank students for their responses whether they are right or wrong.
✦ Be sensitive to incorrect answers. You might prompt the
Excellent idea!
©2008 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
One
approach I'd
try is ...
What do you
think the
outcome
would be?
Contact Us
Educational Development Centre
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Phone: 2766 6292
Fax: 2334 1569
Email: etdept@inet.polyu.edu.hk
This issue of H.E.L.P.! was written by
Adele Graham and Sam Graham.
Read
2. Ask students to discuss the
question with their neighbours
for one minute and agree on an
answer.
3. Call for volunteers to present
their group’s answer.
2. Ask the students to
write their answer to a question
you pose and then hand it in.
3. Select a sample of answers and
elaborate or clarify as needed.
Pose, Pause, Pounce
... for classes of any size where there
is a high degree of trust
1. Pose a question to the class.
2. Pause long enough for the
students to think.
3. Pounce by naming a student to
answer the question.
Study Questions: Use
Online Discussion Groups
1. End your class with some
questions rather than a summary
(or post quesions for online
group discussion and have
participation count).
✦ Praise good and interesting answers.
Hung Hom, Kowloon
1. Display your question.
1. Distribute index
cards to each student
or group.
Responding to Students’ Answers
think they can, e.g. “That’s interesting. What
might that mean for...” Expand on their answer
yourself if it is appropriate, e.g., “To follow up on
that...”
... good for large “lectures”
... for classes of any size
Make sure the question is clear. Make sure you are not
asking a leading question where the wording indicates
the answer you want.
✦ Get students to expand on their answer when you
Consult Your Neighbour
Posting Answers
Check the wording of your questions
student to revise or modify, or call for some help from a
classmate. Don’t leave the class with misconceptions.
Try these different activities:
4. Ask for other insights or
opinions.
?
Students can be discouraged by questions that are too
hard. Questions that are too easy may seem
patronising. Recognise diversity amongst your
students by varying the level of difficulty of the
questions you ask.
Four Activities
to Try
online at:
http://edc.polyu.edu.hk/help
2. Start your next class by returning
to these questions. Students will
have had a chance to think
through their responses before
class. The questions and answers
will provide a good bridge
between classes.
EDC ref 04