Students and Questioning: A Review of the Role Played By Students Generated Questions in the Teaching and Learning Process

Questioning techniques are a heavily used, and thus widely researched, teaching strategy. The questioning process is an essential part of instruction in that it allows teachers and tutors to monitor student competence and understanding as well as increase thought-provoking discussion.In this paper we argue that effective use of questioning arouses curiosity, stimulates interest, and motivates students to seek new information. Students engaged in the questioning process benefit from the clarification of concepts, emergence of key points, and enhancement of problem-solving skills. Using questioning, teachers assess students’ knowledge, determine needs for focused re-teaching, and encourage students to think at higher cognitive levels. Thus the purpose of this paper is to highlight the value of students questions in the learning-teaching process; review the research on student-generated questions in the learning process; and suggest some strategies that teachers can use to foster a culture of inquisitiveness in their classrooms.