Using Questioning Strategies to Promote Students' Active Discussion and Comprehension of Content Area Material

Classroom discussion of text has long been a part of content area classrooms and can have a profound impact on students’ comprehension of text. However, research has shown that typical classroom discussions of text are often structured in ways that induce student passivity and suppress student engagement. The teacher, and the classroom environment fostered by the teacher, determine the extent to which discussions are successful. Typically, classroom discussions of text feature a series of questions asked or initiated by the teacher. After asking a question, the teacher calls on students to respond to, or answer the question. Following the response, the teacher typically evaluates the responses to let students know whether their responses are on tar-Think about the types of activities that usually occur after students are assigned a chapter to read in a content area textbook. Consider the pros and cons of each activity in terms of: (a) facilitating student comprehension, (b) eliciting critical thinking, and (c) fostering student engagement and motivation for learning the content.