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The Importance of Questioning |
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A learner is by nature a questioner. If there is a drive in an individual to increase knowledge, skills or understanding it is driven by doubt, curiosity, wonderment, incomprehension, puzzlement, uncertainty, recognition of a need, or curiosity. This drive is then focused through questions that the learner formulates and actively seeks to find answers to. They may be simple questions that seek clear facts, or complex questions that probe deep into concepts, beliefs and understandings. The question may provide an answer that solves the learning need or may lead to further questions as knowledge and understanding grows. It is obvious though, that however simple or complex an issue is, a good clear relevant question will be of far greater use to the learner than a question that is vague, poorly defined or irrelevant.
“All our knowledge results from questions, which is another way of saying that questioning is our most important intellectual tool." (Neil Postman)
Thinking is central to all learning and there is no learning without thinking, but central to thinking is questioning. It is our questions that fuel and drive our thinking If schools hold a vision or goal that goes beyond the delivery of curriculum content, and if schools want to equip pupils with the skills of learning, then it becomes obvious that a primary skill for any independent learner is the ability to ask clear, well defined and relevant questions. Questioning and Reading The National Reading Panel (2000) analysed a large collection of over two hundred studies examining the approaches used for targeting the development of reading comprehension and found seven strategies that positively improve comprehension. Of these seven strategies (P18) there are three that have questioning skills at their core.
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