This Q&A was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond –
Question
Dear Jonas,
I’m perplexed! I’ve been reading your column for the past year and have really come to understand the importance of engaging students in their learning. I’ve added a lot more discussion questions to my class, but I still seem to be doing most of the talking. Students aren’t answering my questions and then I feel compelled to answer them so as to get the material across. Help! How can I get them to talk in class?
Signed: Perplexed Talker!
Answer
Dear Perplexed Talker!
Ah! You’ve just discovered a very unsettling phenomenon. Many of us unwittingly frustrate our own teaching goals by our teaching behaviors. Often, unintentionally, we do the right thing, but in the wrong way and that only leads us to greater frustration. I, too, used to feel the same as you until I came across a wonderful article by Sondra Napell. It’s from 1976 (now Jonas is dating himself), but still very valuable to think about. Napell identified what she called “Six non-facilitative teaching behaviors”, in other words, behaviors teachers employ that hinder their goal of engaging their students. Maybe you are unwittingly guilty (as I was) of some of these.
1. Insufficient Wait Time – Wait time refers to the amount of time between the initial question and before the teacher answers, repeats, rephrases, or adds additional information. Students need more than just a few seconds to mentally process the information required to answer the question (Moriber, 1971, Rowe, 1974). After all, the reason you’re asking a question is to get them to think. I suggest that after you ask a question, count to ten (mentally) before you start talking again. While this seems like an eternity in front of a silent group, they will inevitably answer if you wait.
2. The Rapid Reward – The rapid acceptance of correct answers favors the student whose learning style involves the ability to rapidly process information. It also ends discussion for the more reflective students, who might then feel shut out and stop trying. Rapid reward could also create competition between rapid processors to get their hand up first. I do a couple of things to prevent myself from doing this. Sometimes I just wait again, even after a correct answer, to see who else responds and what s/he might add. I also ask students to comment on the first answer without indicating whether it is correct or not to get them to think more deeply.
3. The Programmed Answer – Here’s an example of how typical questions of this type are phrased to the class. “Tell me, what theory you think applies to this situation? Do you think it might be the one that reflects the idea of constructing knowledge?”. While this kind of guiding can be effective when you want to lead students to an answer, used on regular basis questions of this type give the impression that there is only one answer and the teacher knows it. It creates convergent rather than divergent thinking in your class. If your intention is to create an open exchange of ideas, try just asking the first part of the question and letting students run with it.
4. Non-Specific Feedback Questions – We’re all guilty of this to one degree or another. How many times do we sincerely say “Are there any questions?”, “Does everyone understand this?”. But when you think about it, it takes a pretty confident student to admit that s/he doesn’t understand what you’re talking about in front of everyone else. Try being more specific about what you want to know. Ask students if they have questions about how the same principle can be applied to a slightly different situation or why you used a particular value for a variable in a problem. The more specific the question, the more likely students are to admit they’re not following you, which facilitates student response to your questions.
5. Teacher Ego-Stroking and Classroom Climate – Have you ever said something like… “The explanation should be clear now, any questions?” or “Obviously, there’s only one way to do this?” Again, while our intention is to help processing and understanding, our actual outcome often makes students feel that if it isn’t “clear” or “obvious” there may be something wrong with their ability. A productive classroom environment is one where students believe that the classroom is a safe place to try out new ideas and thoughts. Eliminating judgmental phrases in questions helps, but referring to other students answers, allowing your own hesitancy or uncertainty (or ignorance) to show when answering their questions also cultivates a supportive classroom climate.
6. Fixation at Low-Level of Questioning – While we want our students to be critical, higher level thinkers, we often ask questions which are really information checks to test whether they ‘know the facts’. Asking questions that require students to do complex thinking and waiting for an answer usually increases the level of class interaction. Instead of asking them what formula to use, ask them why that formula is used and see what happens.
Getting students engaged in their own learning and creating critical thinkers is an important classroom goal. By looking at our own teaching a little more critically, we can often modify behaviors that get in our own way.
Good Luck,
Jonas
Quick Tip
When asking students whether they have questions, change your phrasing from Are there any questions? to WHAT are your questions now?
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This content was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond.
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