THE ART OF QUESTIONING IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS

An extremely important approach in Mathematics is improving the questions that teachers ask to learners. Teachers are conscious that some questions require learners to think more meaningfully, yet research shows that these questions are rarely asked. Meredith D. Gall stated in the use of questions in teaching that “about 60% of teachers’questions require students to recall facts; about 20% require students to think; and the remaining 20% are procedural.”

Good questioning techniques have long being regarded as a fundamental tool of effective teachers. Unfortunately, research shows that 93% of teacher questions are “lower order” knowledge based questions focusing on recall of facts. Obviously this is not the right type of questioning to stimulate the mathematical thinking that can arise from engagement in open problems and investigations.

Many primary educators have already developed considerable skill in good questioning in curriculum areas such as literacy and history and social studies, but do not transfer these skills to Mathematics. Teachers’ instincts often tell them that they should use analytical mathematics more often in their teaching, but are sometimes disappointed with the outcomes when they try it. There are two common reasons for this. One is that the learners are inexperienced in this approach and find it difficult to accept responsibility for the decision making required and need a lot of practice to develop organized or systematic approaches. The other reason is that the teachers have not yet develop art of questioning style that guides, supports and stimulates the children without removing the responsibility for problem-solving process from the children.

Learners must interconnect their thoughts and reasoning, often clarifying and making sense of the Mathematics while doing so. The teacher’s role is to help the student make the mathematical connections, to help them see, and to make sense of the concept. Questioning techniques help do this.

Teachers should ask questions that promote higher-level thinking. This does not mean that a teacher should not be asking questions at the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive rigor. In fact, it is important that a teacher begins a lesson with questions at the recall and understand levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. However, in order to solve significant problems, learners must be dared with higher level questions that follow the lower-level questions.

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The author is SST III at Cristo Rey High School, Division of Tarlac Province

EMMA MANANSALA PARAS

How do we judge a good, effective and productive teacher? This has been a significant question in assessing the totality of teachers’performance. In response to questions like this, a set of teacher standards were developed to define the different dimensions of effective teaching.

Generally, teaching standards are used as bases for appraising teacher performance and defining the behavior of an outstanding teacher. However, beyond these purposes, teacher standards represent a call to every teacher for a lifelong and constant professional development. Teachers need to cope with and participate in the constantly changing, expectations and demands of the society. In consonance with this call, standards must be viewed and utilized as guides for teachers’ professional development plans and activities in responding to the current needs and solving suppressing problems.

Our country’s present state demands improvement of teaching practices. With the implementation of the K to 12 program, being versatile is a must for every in-service and pre-service teacher. Consequently, teachers are obliged to boost the quality of teaching to attain educational advancement.

Teachers’ professional growth influences and affects students’ achievement. Indeed, a teacher who is knowledgeably adept and updated to the different aspects of teaching like pedagogical skills, learners’ assessment skills, classroom management skills, professional development skills etc. can foster more students’ learning progress. The need for teachers to continuously thrive to professionally grow is an imperative and a requisite. Teaching standards are means for reflecting and creating effective teaching practices. Henceforth, teachers must behold teaching standards as tools in accomplishing the unending quest of bringing and making life-long learning.

The author is Teacher

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I at Mabiga Elementary School, Mabiga, Mabalacat City