3b Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques (2024)

What is component 3b?
Component 3b focuses on questioning and discussion being the only instructional strategies in the framework of teaching. Questioning and discussion are central to the teacher’s practice. These techniques need to be used to deepen student understanding rather than serving as recitation or a verbal quiz. Teachers need to ask questions that students can use to generate and form hypotheses, make connections, or challenge other views. Students’ responses to questions need to be valued. Teachers need to use responses to build upon student responses and making use of their ideas. High-quality questions encourage students to make connections among concepts or events and arrive at new understandings of complex material. Teachers also pose questions for which they do not know the answers. Even when a question has a limited number of correct responses which is likely to promote thinking by students.
Class discussions are lively and engaging all students in using their own language to deepen and further their understanding. These discussions may be based on questions by the students themselves. Not all questions must be at a high cognitive level in order for a teacher’s performance to be rated at a high level. A teacher might begin with a series of questions of low cognitive challenge to provide a review. In lessons involving students in small-group work, the quality of the students’ questions and discussion in their small groups may be considered part of this component. Students must learn how to formulate high-level questions. Therefore, high-level questions from students, either in the full class, or in small group discussions, provide evidence that these skills have been taught.

Why is it needed?
Component 3b is needed because students need to master the skills of asking questions and engaging in discussions deepen their understanding. Students need to build upon their questions and other student questions to understand the lesson more. Questions encourage students to make connections and understand complex material. Class discussions are needed to make sure students know the material given to them. In class discussions, teachers can observe and help student who are struggling.

What are the elements of component 3b?
Quality of questions/prompts. Questions of high quality cause students to think and reflect; this helps them to deepen their understanding of concepts and helps them test their ideas. For the purpose of review, it is good for the teacher to ask low-level questions. Teachers need to be aware when asking both types of questions, so students don’t confuse the use of questioning to deepen their understanding.
Discussion techniques. Teachers promote learning through discussion. In a discussion, teachers poses a question and invite all students’ views to be heard, enabling students to engage in discussion with one another.
Student participation. Teachers need to use a range of techniques to ensure that all students contribute to the discussion. Some classmates might want to dominate the discussion and other student will recognize this pattern and hold back their contributions. Teachers need to be able to engage the whole class in the discussion so other student can give their thoughts and opinions.