06 October 2010

SOCRATIC METHOD OF TEACHING:Why asking questions?

As the name suggests that wise old Greek socrates, created the system.These socrates never lectured. Instead they taught by asking questions as actively engaged the learners in active learning with the intention of keeping the students awake and perhaps even making them think. Bill Gates(2007/2/10)in sentinel says "learning is mostly about creating a context for motivation.It's about creating why you should learn things."
The probing questions help to assess the assumed knowledge to be revealed for the edification of people in those areas of learning.
Questioning is one of the most essential technique human being conduct for their testing for understanding,reinforcement of information, motivation to arouse curiosity and to encourage independent thinking
Types of Questioning are:High order questions people will be forced to think deeply ,reason explore and analyse.And low order questions, people will just recall.
As a teacher have you ever count the number of questions you have asked in a class period ? Do you know how many questions pupils have asked you in the same lesson?
Questions are statements from which a replies are expected and same questions are answered quickly ,for example "what is your name?"Whilst some maybe answered differently as time passes ,for instance "What do you want to do for your life's sake?"
Whilst questions are tools for instructions requiring different types of responses ,they also confront pupils with challenges when questioned.Questions require demostrations and justfication of knowledge and beliefs.
The responses "I don't know" or "I don't want to answer" are usually not acceptable in the classroom and often pupils feel bad when they fail to respond correctly.
Many times teachers pay attention for child learning which requires pupils to simply recall information or memorise.They may neglect the higher level of thinking that direct pupils to define or refine relationships between ideas drawing inference, explaining facts make judgements from generalisations ,interprete ,analyse,applies given understanding to new situations and create new ideas ,all of which are necessary for the development of critical thinking .Teachers also avoid effective aspects of learning these are critically analysing and justifying a way of learning ,which direct pupils to make judgements and consider values ,attitudes ,feelings,interests ,beliefs and motions they have influence of their actions.
There is a growing concern that schools have not been developing citizens that may make reflective decisions on their own,about those things that concern them and the society that large .They neglect the higher order of thinking .Any child can and does use those different types of thoughts processes.
Given the opportunity students of all ages do study ,investgate,analyse and evaluate their environment.But some teachers don't believe that students can reason at different levels of thinking and as such they are not willing to lead their students to thinking in these ways.Similary teachers who have no experience of using different should rely on easily presented or recalling.Such an approach doesn't train in the skills of making use of data to solve problems consider values and determine proper actions .
Higher levels of thinking are required if pupils are to solve problems which demand reflective decision making.To develop these skills teachers need to give pupils the opprtunity to think for themselves and by asking and responding to the questions that go beyond recall of information that has been presented to them.
Teachers should encourage pupils to think critically by guiding them in forming concepts and generalization developing skills and choosing values that they can use in life ,giving them the freedom to raise questions and interest and concern to them, hence pupils and teachers use questions effectively to help pupils develop and use critical thinking abilities.
What are purposes of questions?:In the classroom questions are used for a number of purpose and the following will help teacher to expand their use of questioning instructions:
•To develop processes of thinking and guide enquiry and decision making.
•To acquire and clarify information ,answer concern and develop skills
•To determine the knowledge students bring to the class so lessons can be made to meet their demands.
•To provide motivation by encouraging active participation and learning.
•To lead pupils to consider new ideas to make use of ideas already made.
•To help students clarify their ideas ,structure their ideas and learn about things.
•Encourage students to ask their own questions .
•To information from pupils on which to judge performance and understanding.
•To provoke students and teachers teachers to share ideas.
•To challenge beliefs and guide reconsideration or values guide reconsideration of values that pupils know.
•To help teachers asses effectiveness of their teaching.

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