Small focus groups of students from Years 3 to 6 at times fell silent in reflection and at other times chatted over each other as they sought to put into words their thoughts on students' questions. Here is a summary of the rich ideas students generated. Thanks for their honesty and willingness to invest themselves in exploring teaching and learning in different ways.These ideas are in no way complete or finished but will contribute to further discussions and actions in the new year.
1. The Importance of Questioning
All students affirmed the importance of questioining as a way of taking ownership of learning. One Year 5 studnet commented "Most of the kids ask questions because it’s good for learning. I think it’s really an important part of life because you’re putting your learning forward." Another Year 5 student commented, "If you’re not getting involved than you are not learning anything."
2. Trust Trust Trust
The best student questions occur when students feel they are secure and encouraging environment. Students from Years 3-6 repeated their fear of peer exclusion as a primary reason not to ask questions in class. One Year 6 student commented, "It’s not that you think others will laugh at you it is because you know it. You can’t trust." It's a reminer that safety and a secure base needs to be the prerequisite for learning risks.
3. Questioning as a Transfer of Knowledge
Students’ comments on questioning focussed on their quest for knowledge or the teacher’s role as an imparter of knowledge. There was no discussion of wondering arising out of internal contradictions. The Year 5 students explained that one of their group, known for his academic ability, did not need to ask questions because he was, as one of his peers described him, ‘the go to man’ knowing all the answers. One student explained, "If you are one of the smarter kids you wouldn’t ask other kids."
4. Opportunities to Pose Questions
With the pace and shape of lessons students often felt that answers rather than questions were the focus of lessons. One student explained "My teacher goes over stuff again and again so I don’t need to ask questions. The questions are answered before I ask them." One female reflected almost to herself, "I enjoy asking questions before I’m told the answer." A Year 5 student recognised the power of problem posing stating, "Sometimes asking the question can provide a prompt to answering your own question."
Others were eager simply to have more time to consider their questions. One student lamented, "Sometimes when I’ve really thought of a good question they have already moved on to something else." A Year 5 student noted, "It would be good to have a little more time thinking about the question rather than just asking about it. It would be good to have a certain amount of time to think about the question. Even just 2 minutes would be good."
5. A Questioning Journal
Some students really thought that using a questioning journal to brainstorm questions before asking them would be a powerful way to come up with better questions and give those who feel threatened by asking questions a secure space. A Year 4 student commented, "I prefer writing down questions and not saying them and then having my teacher saying it rather than me reading it. In my class there are a lot of quiet students and they would enjoy putting it on paper."
All students affirmed the importance of questioining as a way of taking ownership of learning. One Year 5 studnet commented "Most of the kids ask questions because it’s good for learning. I think it’s really an important part of life because you’re putting your learning forward." Another Year 5 student commented, "If you’re not getting involved than you are not learning anything."
2. Trust Trust Trust
The best student questions occur when students feel they are secure and encouraging environment. Students from Years 3-6 repeated their fear of peer exclusion as a primary reason not to ask questions in class. One Year 6 student commented, "It’s not that you think others will laugh at you it is because you know it. You can’t trust." It's a reminer that safety and a secure base needs to be the prerequisite for learning risks.
3. Questioning as a Transfer of Knowledge
Students’ comments on questioning focussed on their quest for knowledge or the teacher’s role as an imparter of knowledge. There was no discussion of wondering arising out of internal contradictions. The Year 5 students explained that one of their group, known for his academic ability, did not need to ask questions because he was, as one of his peers described him, ‘the go to man’ knowing all the answers. One student explained, "If you are one of the smarter kids you wouldn’t ask other kids."
4. Opportunities to Pose Questions
With the pace and shape of lessons students often felt that answers rather than questions were the focus of lessons. One student explained "My teacher goes over stuff again and again so I don’t need to ask questions. The questions are answered before I ask them." One female reflected almost to herself, "I enjoy asking questions before I’m told the answer." A Year 5 student recognised the power of problem posing stating, "Sometimes asking the question can provide a prompt to answering your own question."
Others were eager simply to have more time to consider their questions. One student lamented, "Sometimes when I’ve really thought of a good question they have already moved on to something else." A Year 5 student noted, "It would be good to have a little more time thinking about the question rather than just asking about it. It would be good to have a certain amount of time to think about the question. Even just 2 minutes would be good."
5. A Questioning Journal
Some students really thought that using a questioning journal to brainstorm questions before asking them would be a powerful way to come up with better questions and give those who feel threatened by asking questions a secure space. A Year 4 student commented, "I prefer writing down questions and not saying them and then having my teacher saying it rather than me reading it. In my class there are a lot of quiet students and they would enjoy putting it on paper."
| student_questioning_survey_term_4_2012.pdf |
| focus_groups_report_on_students_perceptions_2012.pdf |
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