The 11 BEST Types of Questions in the Classroom

The 11 BEST Types of Questions in the Classroom

1. Open-ended questions: These questions encourage critical thinking and allow for multiple possible answers.

The how, why and where, questions.

They have no specific answer but force the respondent to provide an explanation.

The answers will draw on students experiences, their opinions, values and their understanding of the topic in hand.

2. Closed-ended questions: These questions are more focused and often require a specific answer.

These types of questions should be used where there is a specific answer or range of answers e.g. “What is the change of state called that occurs when water changes from solid to a liquid”.

Students should have already been taught the answer, so closed questions are used as a method of practising recall, to check retention and uncover misconceptions that can then be challenged and addressed.

3. Probing questions: These questions are used to dig deeper into a student's response or answer.

These questions help teachers to better understand what the student knows and where their thinking may be limited.

Examples of probing questions:

▪️Can you give me an example of what you mean?
▪️How did you come up with that idea?
▪️What do you think is the most important part of that concept?
▪️Can you explain that in more detail?
Why do you think that is the case?
▪️Can you give me some evidence to support your argument?
▪️What are some other possible explanations for what's happening?
▪️How does this relate to what we learned earlier?
▪️Can you think of a real-world situation where this concept might apply?
▪️What would happen if we changed one of the variables in this experiment?

4. Clarifying questions: These questions are used to clear up misunderstandings or confusion about a topic.

These questions help to ensure that students have a clear understanding of what is being taught, and can be useful for identifying areas where further instruction or explanation may be needed.

Examples of clarifying questions:

▪️Can you explain what you mean by that?
▪️Can you give an example to help me understand better?
▪️Did I understand you correctly when you said...?
▪️Can you rephrase that in simpler terms?
▪️Can you explain that step again?
▪️Do you mean...?
▪️Can you clarify what you're trying to say?
▪️Is this what you meant to say?
▪️Am I understanding this correctly?
▪️Can you explain the process in more detail?

5. Predictive questions: These questions ask students to use their knowledge and understanding to make predictions about what might happen next.

These questions are useful for encouraging students to think about cause-and-effect relationships, to make connections between different concepts or events, and to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Examples of predictive questions:

▪️What do you think will happen next in this story?
▪️Based on what we've learned, what do you predict will happen if we change this variable?
▪️What do you think the outcome of this experiment will be?
▪️How do you think this decision will affect the outcome?
▪️What do you think will happen if we don't take action to address this problem?
▪️What do you think will happen if we take a different approach?
▪️What do you think will be the long-term consequences of this decision?
▪️How do you think this event will impact society as a whole?
▪️What do you think will happen if we continue down this path?
▪️What do you think will be the result if we implement this policy?

6. Reflective questions: These questions encourage students to reflect on their learning and thought processes.

These questions help to promote metacognition and self-awareness, and encourage students to take ownership of their learning.

Examples of reflective questions:

▪️What did you learn from this lesson?
▪️How did you feel about your performance on this assignment?
▪️What strategies did you use to approach this problem?
▪️What was the most challenging part of this assignment for you?
▪️How did you overcome any difficulties you encountered?
▪️How has your understanding of this concept changed since we first started learning about it?
▪️What could you have done differently to improve your performance?
▪️What would you do differently if you were to approach this problem again?
▪️How can you apply what you learned in this lesson to real-world situations?
▪️What steps can you take to improve your understanding of this topic?

7. Hypothetical questions: These questions ask students to imagine or consider hypothetical scenarios or situations.

These questions can be useful for encouraging students to think critically and creatively, to consider different perspectives, and to develop their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Examples of hypothetical questions:

▪️What would happen if we were to change this variable in our experiment?
▪️What would you do if you found a wallet on the street with no identification?
▪️How might the outcome have been different if a different decision was made?
▪️What would happen if we eliminated this step from the process?
▪️How might society be different if this event had never occurred?
▪️What would you do if you were in the same situation as this character in the story?
▪️How might the outcome have been different if a different approach was taken?
▪️What would happen if we had more resources to allocate to this project?
▪️How might the outcome have been different if a different person was in charge?
▪️What would you do if you were given the opportunity to start over with this project?

8. Evaluative questions: These questions ask students to evaluate and make judgments about a topic or situation.

These questions can be useful for encouraging students to develop their analytical and evaluative skills, to think critically, and to express their opinions and arguments clearly and effectively.

Examples of evaluative questions:

▪️What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument?
▪️How effective was this solution in addressing the problem?
▪️What are the main themes or messages conveyed in this text?
▪️How well did this performer convey the emotions of the character?
▪️How appropriate was this decision given the circumstances?
▪️How well did this group work together to achieve their goal?
▪️How does this approach compare to other approaches to this problem?
▪️How well did this product meet the needs of its users?
▪️What are the implications of this policy for different stakeholders?
▪️How successful was this project in achieving its objectives?

9. Analytical questions: These questions ask students to break down a topic or situation into its constituent parts and analyze them.

These questions can be useful for encouraging students to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, to identify patterns and relationships, and to draw meaningful conclusions based on evidence and data.

Examples of analytical questions:

▪️What are the different factors that contribute to this problem?
▪️How does this issue relate to broader social, political, or economic trends?
▪️What are the different perspectives or viewpoints on this issue?
▪️What evidence do we have to support this claim?
▪️How does this data help us to understand this trend or pattern?
▪️What are the different ways that this problem could be addressed?
▪️What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of each solution?
▪️How does this historical event relate to contemporary issues?
▪️What are the different stages or steps involved in this process?
▪️What are the key assumptions and arguments underlying this theory or concept?

10. Synthesizing questions: These questions ask students to combine information from different sources or perspectives to form a cohesive understanding.

These questions can be useful for encouraging students to develop their critical thinking and creativity skills, to identify connections and patterns across different sources and domains, and to construct their own knowledge and ideas based on evidence and insights.

Examples of synthesizing questions:

▪️How can we integrate the different perspectives on this issue to create a more nuanced understanding?
▪️What connections can we draw between this text and other texts we have read on this topic?
▪️How can we use the data we have collected to identify new patterns or trends?
▪️What insights can we gain by synthesizing the findings of different studies on this topic?
▪️How can we combine our own experiences and observations with the knowledge we have gained to develop a new solution to this problem?
▪️What new ideas or possibilities emerge when we combine different elements of this concept?
▪️How can we synthesize the knowledge and skills we have learned in this course to create a new product or project?
▪️What connections can we draw between this historical event and current events?
▪️How can we combine the different forms of art and media to create a new work?
▪️What new insights or ideas emerge when we synthesize the knowledge and perspectives of different disciplines?

11. Summarizing questions: These questions ask students to summarize key points or ideas about a topic or situation.

These questions can be useful for assessing students' comprehension and retention of key information, and for helping them to develop their summarizing and paraphrasing skills.

Examples of summarizing questions:

▪️What was the main idea or thesis of the article?
▪️Can you summarize the key points from the lecture?
▪️What are the three main arguments made in this chapter?
▪️What is the central message of this story?
▪️Can you recap the main events from the last section of the book?
▪️What were the most important findings from this study?
▪️What are the key takeaways from this presentation?
▪️Can you summarize the main points of the debate?
▪️What are the essential elements of this theory?
▪️What are the main differences between these two perspectives?