13 A divergent question on the other hand, is opened questions by nature
Cooper, 2011, p.113. Divergent questions broader in nature, can have multiple answers, and require then a higher level of thinking on behalf of the students
Cooper, 2011, p.113. Asking the higher order cognitive question to the students, encouraged them to analyze situation, make comparison, draw conclusions, make
inferences, and solve a problem Orlich et al., 2010, pp.221-222.
c. The Implementation of Questioning Skill
When we look within the broader context of classroom interaction, how questions are asked has a tremendous impact on learner outcomes. These
outcomes are not shaped merely by delivering questions to the student vaguely, as a teacher candidates, Microteaching students also have know how to communicate
their questions effectively to their students. According to Brown 1978 , the Microteaching students need to consider
the eight elements in asking questions. The eight elements are clarity and coherence, pausing and pacing, directing and distributing, and also prompting and
probing. The terms are explained below. 1 Clarity and Coherence
It means that the questions need to be brief and straight to the point, in order to avoid confusion among the students.
2 Pausing and Pacing Beginner teachers tends to ask more questions but they receive less
answers than they expect. It happens because of the lack of pauses and no variation in delivering the questions pacing Brown, 1978. Further Brown
14 1978 explains that a short pause before repeating or rephrasing the question
implies that you expect a quick answer from the student. It is needed if you are using a low order cognitive question. While a long pause over three seconds
implies that you expect the answer to come from the critical thinking of the student. Pause is the silent time to let the students to think about an answer to a
question. As it is also stated in Brown’s book 1978, the kind of question asked by
the teacher also determines the speed in delivering the question. Low level drill questions can be asked in quick pace, whereas more complex questions need to be
asked in slow pace in order to avoid confusion. In other words, your pausing and pacing will show the kind of answers that you are expecting.
3 Directing and Distributing
In giving questions, many beginner teachers have a tendency to give the questions to the students who know the answers or who are willing to answer the
questions. It usually happens because the teachers try to keep the lesson flow in a good pace while the main points of the lesson are all covered. It makes the active
students keep talking and the others remain silence. Directing questions to the passive students by calling out their name will solve the problem. The teachers
need to avoid directing the questions to the whole class too often because if they do so, the answers will only come from active students. If there is a student who is
not paying attention to the lesson, teacher needs to direct hisher question to that particular student. Directing a question at someone who is not paying attention to
the lesson can be a useful controlling device Brown, 1978, p.106. The question
15 will encourage that particular student to participate in the learning process and
stay focused on the lesson. If that particular student cannot answer the question, you can redirect it to another student.
In distributing the questions, teachers need to be fair, teachers have to give the same opportunity for all students to answer the questions, to involve the
students in the discussion in order to minimize the gap on the students’ learning achievement. As a teacher, you have to monitor all the students in class and
embrace them all to participate in the active learning Cooper, 2011, p.116. According to Brown 1978 the students will participate and enjoy discussions if
they are given a fair share of discussion time p.106. 4 Prompting and Probing
Brown 1978 states that prompting consists of providing hints to help the students in answering questions p.107. If a teacher asks a question to a student,
the student may not answer the question in the way the teacher expects or even shehe may remain silence. When this happens the teacher should prompt the
student Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan, Brown, 2010, pp.229-231. For example, a teacher asks a student a question and expects a complete answer but
the student answer the incorrect one then shehe continues by giving a partial answer to the teacher.
Teacher : What did the goldilocks do in the cottage?
Student : she came into the cottage.
Teacher : Okay. She saw the cottage and come into the cottage.
After that what did she do? Student
: She sat down on the chair. Teacher
: Yes. After that what did she do? Student
: She ate the porridge and then slept. Teacher
: Yes, that is right.
16
In prompting the students, the teacher needs to provide positive reinforcement so that the students will be encouraged to complete an incomplete response or revise
the incorrect one Orlich et al., 2010, pp.229-231. Probing questions direct the students to elaborate their initial answer
Brown, 1978, p.107. The following example is the example of probing questions.
Teacher : What do you think about the reading, entitled “Graffiti: Art or
Vandalism”? Student
: I think the reading is interesting. Teacher
: Why do you think so? Student
: It is interesting because I like graffiti. I think graffiti is cool. I agree with the researcher because I always think that people who
cover the public area or someone else property with painted murals and scrawls in spray paint without permission are not graffiti artists
they are just a bunch of people who do the vandalism.
Probing questions provide an opportunity for the students to express their idea clearly and get better understanding Cooper, 2011, p.112.
3. Perception
