In university education, one indispensable element for fostering student proactivity is the "ability to ask questions." A question is the starting point of learning and the very engine of intellectual inquiry. However, in actual classroom settings, it is not uncommon for students to "rarely ask questions" or "be unable to formulate questions."
Why do students not ask questions? And how can we cultivate the ability to ask questions? The key lies in the educational skills of the faculty and the relationship of trust with students. This article will consider the educational environment and relationships necessary to draw out students' questions.
Why Students Don't Ask Questions
Many students are accustomed to "getting the right answer" from their high school education. In a learning style where efficient memorization of knowledge and achieving correct answers on tests have been evaluated, "asking questions" itself has not been particularly encouraged. Therefore, it is not uncommon for students to feel confused and unsure how to think when immediately told to "ask questions" upon entering university.
In such a situation, it is natural for students to show little reaction even if the instructor simply prompts, "Do you have any questions?" To draw out students' questions, technical ingenuity and a sense of security based on relationships are necessary.
Faculty's Questioning Techniques and Facilitation Skills
To foster students' ability to ask questions, the faculty's questioning skills, or facilitation ability, are indispensable. University faculty are required to act not merely as knowledge transmitters, but as facilitators who encourage students' thinking and support the flow of inquiry.
For example, by incorporating specific questions into lessons like "What factors do you think are behind this phenomenon?" or "What can we see if we look at this data from another perspective?", students can naturally learn "points of view to consider."
Furthermore, it is important not just to provide a correct answer to a question, but to respond with probing questions like "Why did you think that way?" or "What other possibilities are there?" Through such interactions, students experientially acquire the ability to deepen their questions.
The Relationship Between Faculty and Students Gives Rise to Questions
The quality of education is not determined solely by the faculty's expertise or lesson design. The quality of the relationship with students greatly influences the depth of learning. In particular, the act of "asking questions" is a delicate endeavor that involves self-disclosure and fear of criticism. For students to feel secure in asking questions, it is essential to build a relationship based on trust and respect with the faculty.
If students feel that "this teacher will accept my ideas" and "I can speak freely in this classroom," they can confidently voice even incomplete questions. Conversely, a negative attitude or one-sided lectures can cause students' thoughts to remain internalized, making it difficult for questions to emerge.
Therefore, faculty are required to engage carefully with each student, both inside and outside of class, and build a relationship as "fellow thinkers." It is only on the foundation of such relationships that facilitation and questioning techniques can be truly effective.
Designing "Learning Through Shared Questions"
A class that draws out questions is not just one where the teacher asks questions, but also one that creates a learning environment where students share questions with each other. In group work and seminars, incorporating a process where students formulate their own questions and then share and develop them with other students makes learning more interactive and proactive.
Furthermore, introducing a mechanism for students to record and visualize their questions is also effective. For example, by having students submit "what they found interesting in today's class" or "questions they want to explore further" each time, and then having the teacher comment on them, a cycle of questions and dialogue is created.
Through such design, questions are not transient but accumulate as a trajectory of thought and growth.
Faculty Themselves as "Questioning Beings"
Finally, I want to emphasize the stance that faculty themselves are beings who continue to ask questions. Faculty who embody the attitude of questioning and inquiry become the best learning models for students.
For example, words like "I myself am still thinking about this topic" or "I gained many insights from your ideas" are a great encouragement to students. By conveying that the faculty is not a possessor of perfect answers, but a "partner who searches for questions together," students can confidently cultivate their own questions.
Fostering students' ability to ask questions is not merely a matter of skills or techniques. It is an accumulation of educational practices rooted in the faculty's approach and their relationship with students. It is within a trusting, dialogical relationship that students will think, question, and deepen their learning on their own.
Fostering "questioning students." That is a core objective that should be at the heart of university education, and it is also an endeavor that prompts faculty themselves to re-examine their own educational philosophy.
Published: July 28, 2024
Author: Prof. Masato Otsuka