Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practice to Engage Every Learner

by Jackie Acree Walsh

Use effective questions to advance student thinking, learning, and achievement!  

Authors Walsh and Sattes provide an in-depth look at how quality questions can transform classrooms. Drawing on two decades of research on teacher effectiveness, the authors offer strategies that engage all students in the teacher’s questions and prompt students to generate their own questions.  Quality Questioning  

Genres: Education, Teaching, Professional Development

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2004

Reviews

[Jessica Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that my lesson plans are scripted, I plan this kind of questioning less. That being said, I thought the book was fairly useful. I thought the concept of making time for class discussion with a well thought out question as a prompt was both possible and practical. However, it seemed less applicable to my preschool students than it would be for 4th grade and older. When you scan for videos though, you got to see teachers implementing these techniques as early as kindergarten. However, the teachers/students in the older grades seemed to have more success (in the videos). If administrators gave us class time to devote to helping children build their capacity to answer open ended questions through discussion, I think the techniques could be beneficial for the students.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was also part of my 21st century teaching course, and wow! This one is so insightful it asks us as teachers to really look at how and why we are asking questions, and gives so much practical advice about how to effectively craft and ask questions for equitable learning outcomes and effective instruction. It gives advice about wait time and whole group responses and open ended questions. This book was amazing! Not only did I use if for class, but I plan on working to incorporate much of what it says to improve my instructional practice. I highly recommend this one to all educators.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, by far one of the best books about teaching technique I have ever read. I think everyone who teaches should read this. It is clear, builds upon itself, and loops major points throughout in order for the reader to improve his/her craft. From this short book, I have a clearer, improved and changed perspective of "waiting time" and have already seen how implementing a different type of this common strategy, leads to more powerful, rich instruction/facilitation.

It is a fine book that also contains easy, yet thoughtful reflective pieces of the aspects of improving delivery through the use of deliberate, multi-leveled (a la Bloom's taxonomy) questions.

I am midway through my teaching career and find this book a great addition to my small "must have" teaching books. I intend on asking my student teacher read it over summer to prepare for next fall.

[Leanna Aker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that talks about how teachers (and students!) can become more effective questioners. It also makes a case for why such changes in questioning should be made, from the perspective of research. The book includes tools for reflection on different aspects of the process, and tips for implementing effective professional development about questioning. Great read for teachers, professional development leaders, and principals.

[Alabama Best Practices Center · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you ensure that your students are well-prepared for our ever-changing world? Ask relevant and interesting open-ended questions, and help your students become good questioners as well. Want to learn how? This book will provide you with insights, research, and ideas about how to strengthen both your use and your students' use of effective questioning.

[Alena Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful resource for any teacher who wants to increase student engagement through questioning strategies. It teaches how to lead students to answers through thought-provoking interaction rather than teacher-based monologue. I need to practice this immediately.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really dry and quite boring but did have a couple things I will go away and use

[Allison Haehnel · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to plan, develop, respond to and adapt Quality Questions for GT students

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for teachers. I read it in college, but still use it as a resource all the time.