Is this the best question to ask students?

Early in my teaching career I asked really poor questions of students. I also asked way too many. 

For example, I had this one lesson observation where the observing teacher counted the number of questions I asked. It averaged around 3 a minute, with most of these being closed questions. It was pretty frenetic, and not conducive to students having time to think.

So I reflected on my question answering technique and looked for ways to ask more open and useful questions. I use one technique in particular that has helped me move away from “yes/no” responses and towards having students articulate their thinking process.

This technique is the use of the question: “What makes you say that?”

Let’s say we’re looking at the causes of World War One. And I ask the students to answer the question: “In your opinion, what was the most important cause of World War One?”

Hands go up. One student — “The alliances between European nations”.

Me: “Okay, sure. But what makes you say that? Out of all the causes we’ve studied, why do you say this one is the most important?

Here, I’m asking the student to go a level deeper and to explain their thinking. What is the reasoning and evidence behind their answer? Or do they lack reasoning and evidence? (Also a great bit of feedback as a teacher.)

We’re going beyond ‘wrong versus right’ and ‘yes versus no’. We’re trying to peer into the students’ heads and witness their thinking processes.

This technique can used in all subjects across a broad range of contexts. I like to have students sometimes answer the “What makes you say that?” in written format too. 

A word of warning

Don’t overuse this technique. If every second question you ask is, “What makes you say that?”, students might start parodying your style. I know, students can be mean.

So — use the same type of question by change up the wording. Think about:

• Why would you answer the question this way?

• Why would you choose that response?

• Why wouldn’t you choose this response instead?

• What evidence could you use to support this idea?

Maybe you already use this question or you’re looking to adopt it. Let me know in the comments what you think of it and how it has worked with your students.