“The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein

The outcome of a good question, whatever its purpose, is that it encourages thinking. Teachers have always asked questions in the classroom sessions to check the learners’ level of understanding, gauge if a concept or lesson needs revision, and assess if learners are ready to move forward and learn new information. 

Asking questions is, therefore, a key aspect of the teaching and learning process. It is a significant tool through which students receive and process information while learning in the classroom. Thakur School of Global Education (TSGE), one of the best International Schools in Mumbai emphasizes effective questioning in the classroom as it opens conversations, inspires deeper intellectual thought, and promotes peer interaction. 

1. 1. From a pedagogical viewpoint, questions serve two crucial roles:

2. It checks the learners’ understanding, identifies their misconceptions and provides immediate corrective feedback.

It invites dialogue and interaction in the classroom and helps learners develop a better understanding of the concept, their progress and also help them share their perspectives with others.

Effective questioning in the classroom creates opportunities for students to analyse their own thinking and promotes discussion and interactions with other learners and the teacher. Educators at TSGE, one among the topmost IGCSE Schools in Kandivali, Mumbai, use questioning as an essential part of their teaching process for many reasons such as:

• To maintain the flow of the learning, 
• Engage learners in the learning process
• Make learners more attentive  
• Test learners memory and comprehension
• Initiate individual and collaborative thinking in the class
• Seek views and opinions of pupils and share them with the class
• Encourage creative and imaginative thinking
• Foster brainstorming and idea/opinion forming
• Create a sense of shared learning 

Questions reveal interest, improve recall and build a foundation for new knowledge. Hence, prioritizing ways for effective questioning in the classroom is pivotal to learning. Some of the benefits of asking questions in the classroom are:

Encourages active learning - When learners get involved in responding to questions in the class, it suggests their interest in the topic being discussed. With the international Cambridge curriculum at TSGE, learners are consistently exposed to group activities followed by presentations which ultimately promotes active learning and participation rather than passively receiving information.

Helps clear doubts immediately - Asking effective questions in the class clears learners’ doubts at an early stage and sets the student down the right path, bringing more clarity on a topic/lesson and improving their overall knowledge and academic performance. Posing effective questions that not only elicit responses to what questions but goes deeper to gain an insight into the how and why of a concept. 

Makes the subject/concept more interesting - A topic of discussion or a lesson becomes more interesting when it is driven by effective questioning in the class. Questions enable pupils to think beyond the topic and give them the space for more opinions and perspectives, thereby making the class more interactive and lively and the learning environment more engaging. With a broad range of subject choice offered in the rich Cambridge IGCSE curriculum at Thakur School of Global Education (TSGE), learning becomes more interesting with effective questioning that involves learners in the delivery of the lesson. 

Helps in better retention of information - It is quite obvious that when one asks questions, one is self-motivated to know the answer. When learners participate in the class discussions and interactions, it is a sign that he or she is able to relate himself to the topic being discussed. When every learner in the class involves themselves in the discussion, the topic automatically becomes more interesting and as the whole class participates, the information can be absorbed effectively as they get to know different perspectives of a concept.

Promotes personal growth - It takes courage and confidence to get involved and participate in the class. Some students find it easy while there are others’ who feel uncomfortable and lack confidence; instead of clarifying their doubts, they choose to remain silent. Effective questioning by the educators in class gives every student a chance to answer, engage with the content and move towards high-order learning.

Builds independent and critical thinking - When learners perceive that they have an element of control over their learning, they are more likely to engage in it. They not only raise questions more confidently but also answer them actively. This independent and critical thinking enables them to engage more with their work, and teaches them to value others’ opinions and perspectives.

Asking questions is therefore a natural and intuitive process that invites students to think. How questions are fielded by teachers sets the learning climate. Educators at TSGE, one of the best IGCSE Schools in Mumbai, are trained to use effective questioning in the classroom that is meaningful and understandable to students, nurture students’ interest in learning, give them the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives and support positive relationships between teachers and learners.