UNIT 5: What is Critical Thinking and Effective Questioning?
UNIT 5: Growth Mindset and Critical Thinking
What is Critical Thinking and Effective Questioning?
Teaching and learning are based on thinking. Learners learn to think about what their teachers teach them. Teachers also need to think about what learners say and help them to develop their thinking further.
Critical thinking happens when learners start analysing, evaluating, and creating their own ideas in the classroom. Critical thinking requires the teacher and learners to ask effective questions with each other, of each other and of themselves. As teachers, we must encourage learners to ask questions in the classroom.
Asking effective questions is probably the most important skill for a teacher to have. Effective questions increase learners’ interest, involvement, and motivation in the class. Effective questions also help learners to review their knowledge and understanding of the lesson content and to be critical thinkers.
By asking great questions, the teacher can work out what the learners have understood and how they are thinking, evaluate learners' progress, and guide them to think more critically. The way learners answer questions gives teachers feedback on how well they have taught their lessons and it should make the teacher think about how to improve his/her teaching.
The way we respond to our learners’ answers is very important. We must try to encourage learners, even if their answers are incorrect. Here are some examples of how to respond to both correct and incorrect answers in your classroom:
- Can you give me an example?
- When did you see that happen?
- I can see why you might think that way.
- I want to make sure that I understand you correctly.
- Thank you for giving an answer and sharing your ideas. It's great when we can think through this activity together. I'm wondering if anyone else has other ideas to share?
- I'm not sure if you have understood correctly yet. Listen to what others say and then I’ll come back to you to see if you have a different answer.
Our aim is to always apply the growth mindset principles that we have discussed and not to limit learners’ thinking.
Note: It is not always a problem if learners want to be silent whilst they are thinking, or for them not to offer any answer at all. Some learners like to reflect on how they understand an idea or concept. They should not be rushed to respond immediately. The ideal classroom environment is a supportive one where children feel comfortable to volunteer answers or to choose not to respond to questions, and where the teacher knows when to encourage the learners to try again or to do something in a different way.