Definition of Terms INTRODUCTION

Then, it does not need high order thinking. Furthermore, convergent questions focus on the recall of previously presented information. The additional function of convergent questions is to introduce the topic before the teacher begins lesson and explains the content of learning.

c. Divergent Questions

The last is a divergent question. Wilen 1987 states that this question is less predictable than the convergent question. The teacher may not expect and know the response or answer given by students. Richards and Lockhart 1996 add that divergent questions do not seek short answers and responses and they require high- level thinking. Students should be able to provide their own information and to view a topic from new perspectives. The examples of divergent questions are how have computers had an economic impact on society? and how would business today function without computers? The teacher can provide divergent questions after asking convergent questions Richards and Lockhart, 1996, p.187

2. The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Abilities

Questioning is defined as a situation in which people ask someone questions “Questioning”. In addition, people propose questioning in order to find out answers and more information. In the context of classroom situation, questioning is an activity which involves interaction between a teacher to students and students to students. The questioning activity may happen when a teacher checks students’ understanding, tests students’ knowledge, or because of students’ curiosity. It requires questions and answers. Sometimes, questioning does not seek for answer. Levels of questioning vary from an expert to another. This study employs levels of questioning based on the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Krathwohl 2001 says that the taxonomy of educational objectives is a framework for classifying statements of what we expect or intend students to learn as a result of instruction. It means that the taxonomy provides an important framework focusing on higher order thinking. By providing it, this taxonomy can assist teachers in designing performance task, crafting questions, and giving feedback to students’ work. Anderson et al. 2001 in their taxonomy divide the six categories of the cognitive process dimension p.31. They are remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Those levels are often used in the objective of learning as well-known as C1 until C6 in Indonesia curriculum

a. Remember

Anderson, et al. 2001 say that remember is a process to retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory. They add the scope of this level. Remember knowledge is essential for meaningful learning and problem solving as that knowledge is used in more complex tasks. For example, knowledge of the correct spelling of common English words appropriate to a given grade level is necessary if the student is to master writing an essay p.66. Based on the explanation above, remember knowledge can be a meaningful learning if the assignments or tasks integrated with comprehensive knowledge and not isolated from their context. In addition, Price and Nelson 2010 call this level as the lowest level of cognitive domains p.22. In fact, the process that is needed by students in answering remember questions is recalling knowledge and information. In this level, there are two processes of cognitive: recognizing and recalling. Anderson et al. 2001 says that recognizing involves retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory in order to compare it with presented information. They explain that in recognizing, the students recall for a piece of information that is identical to the presented information. Then, they determine whether the information matches with previously learned knowledge or not. Recognizing is used when students are able to connect their memories with what they have experienced or known before. As an illustration, Reeves 2011 gives a clear example of recognizing . The question “which of these numbers is one thousand?” requires student to recognize the correct answer in one possibility p. 201. Actually, recalling has the same procedure as well as recognizing. Anderson et al. 2001 specifically define its cognitive process as follows. Recalling involves retrieving relevant from-long term memory when given a prompt to do so and it is usually in form of question. In recalling, students search long-term memory for a piece information and brings that piece of information to working memory where it can be processed. For instance, in literature, an objective could be to recall the poets who wrote various poems. A corresponding test question is “Who wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade?” p.69. From the explanation above, it can be said that there is a time limit for students finding the poets who wrote the poems based on previously learned knowledge. After obtaining the information needed, students have to quickly answer it. An alternative for this cognitive process is retrieving. The following question “what is this number?” or “what are the characteristics of mammals?” may be quiet challenging for students since they need to recollect when there is no choice for answer Reeves, 2011, p.201.