THE ART OF QUESTIONING
Curiosity, knowledge, understanding and empathy are driven by and found in well framed questions. Poorly framed questions can be damaging, breed ignorance, feed misunderstanding and cause unnecessary suffering and pain.
The quality of your questions influences the quality of your interactions. As a father, husband, employer, employee or friend the questions we ask of others and ourselves shape the world we live in and the relationships we have.
A good question or sequence of questions can help uncover and reveal thoughts, concerns, perspectives and understanding of great value. Good questions, accompanied with active listening can enable conversations that are joyous, illuminating, meaningful and previously not possible.
The quality of your questions influences the quality of your interactions. As a father, husband, employer, employee or friend the questions we ask of others and ourselves shape the world we live in and the relationships we have.
A good question or sequence of questions can help uncover and reveal thoughts, concerns, perspectives and understanding of great value. Good questions, accompanied with active listening can enable conversations that are joyous, illuminating, meaningful and previously not possible.
Four types of questions
1. Leading Questions
For example, “Would you like to talk about it?” “What happened after that?” “Could you tell me more?”
2. Open-ended Questions (Divergent)
Use open-ended questions to expand the discussion — for example, lead with: “How? What? Where? Who? Which?”
3. Closed-ended Questions (Convergent)
Use closed ended questions to prompt for specifics — for example, lead with: “Is? Are? Do? Did? Can? Could? Would?”
4. Reflective Questions
Can help people understand more about what they said - for example, someone tells you, “I’m worried I won’t remember. . . ”
Reflective Q: “It sounds like you would like some help remembering?”
For example, “Would you like to talk about it?” “What happened after that?” “Could you tell me more?”
2. Open-ended Questions (Divergent)
Use open-ended questions to expand the discussion — for example, lead with: “How? What? Where? Who? Which?”
3. Closed-ended Questions (Convergent)
Use closed ended questions to prompt for specifics — for example, lead with: “Is? Are? Do? Did? Can? Could? Would?”
4. Reflective Questions
Can help people understand more about what they said - for example, someone tells you, “I’m worried I won’t remember. . . ”
Reflective Q: “It sounds like you would like some help remembering?”
The purpose of questions
Knowing when and how to use questions effectively comes with practice. The purpose of questions will often vary;
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· Excite interest or curiosity
· Focus attention · Diagnose responses or feeling · Assess understanding · Structure or guide learning · Encourage reflection |
· Challenge thinking
· Reinforce understanding · Obtain feedback · Clarifying directions · Stimulate discussion · Assess understanding |
Thinking about your questions
Not every conversation needs to explore the meaning of life. Sometimes there are very specific needs and answers required, particularly when it comes to health or safety. Your child/ren will benefit from varied questions that stimulate different cognitive functions and explore a range of different (physical, social, emotional) responses.
Blooms taxonomy is a classification system that has touched education at all levels around the world and is used to plan and assess learning. It provides a useful scheme for thinking about the type of questions you do, or might want to, ask.
An example of how the cognitive domain can be applied for questions;
Blooms taxonomy is a classification system that has touched education at all levels around the world and is used to plan and assess learning. It provides a useful scheme for thinking about the type of questions you do, or might want to, ask.
An example of how the cognitive domain can be applied for questions;
cognitive levelRemembering (Knowledge)
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processRecalling factual information
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question exampleWhat did you do at school today?
How are you feeling? What’s your favorite_____? |
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Understanding (Comprehension)
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Understanding information
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What did you learn at school today?
What does it feel like? Has it always been your favorite______? |
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Applying (Application)
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Using previously learned information in a new situation
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What did you learn that was useful today?
Why do you think you feel that way? Why is it your favorite______? |
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Analysing (Analysis)
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Breaking information into parts and showing an understanding between the parts
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How will you make use of what you learned today?
What do you do when you feel that way? What’s the best feature of your favorite ________? |
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Evaluating (Evaluation)
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Making a judgment on the values or consistency of information
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What was the most useful thing you learned? Why?
Do you think that fee lingis useful? How? What other ________ compare to your favorite? Why? |
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Creating (Synthesis)
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Generating new ideas, planning and producing
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How would you teach what you learned today?
How could you manage that feeling? How could you make it better? |
References
 
Pepper Schwarz (2000)
201 Questions to Ask Your Kids: 201 Questions to Ask Your Parents, New York: Quill |
 
Jerry Jones (1999)
201 Great Questions for Parents and Children, Colorado Springs: NavPress |
Useful links |