How to get students asking better questions

Encouraging students to ask effective questions can improve engagement and deepen learning. However, many educators are unsure how to do so. In this resource, I share strategies that you can implement right away.

Use structured questioning frameworks

Help students structure their questions to enable them to move beyond a basic level of questioning. To do this, I provide a simple framework for students to use when creating questions. For instance, after recently introducing the topic of globalisation, I asked my students to create one question at each of the following levels:

• Knowledge (for example, what do we mean by globalisation?)
• Analysis (for example, how has globalisation affected both developed and developing countries?)
• Evaluation (for example, what are the positive and negative effects of globalisation on developing countries?)

You can discuss these at a whole-class level, and students can then pose further questions for their peers to discuss. This technique has allowed me to discover knowledge and identify gaps. Questions that emerged were varied – from basic knowledge-checking to more evaluative enquiry – and led to deeper, more meaningful class discussions about the complexities of globalisation.

Incorporate peer feedback

When students come up with questions, it’s essential for them to receive feedback from both teachers and peers. This helps them refine their questions and learn from each other’s perspectives. It also reduces hierarchies and encourages collaboration. 

Peer-review sessions, during which students exchange questions and offer constructive feedback, are a great way to facilitate this. In a recent group project on space exploration, I asked students to create questions to ask a leading astrophysicist working at Nasa. Students then shared their questions with a partner and asked for suggestions to refine them. 

This process led to excellent questions and a much deeper discussion on the ethical implications of space exploration. When students review and refine each other’s questions, they often come up with more thoughtful and creative ideas. 

Encourage students to ask ‘why’ and ‘how’

Asking “why” and “how” can deepen understanding and nurture critical thinking as they prompt students to consider the underlying causes and broader implications of a topic.

When analysing a text such as an article, I ask students to create a set number of questions for their peers to answer about the article. Recently, when looking at an article on artificial intelligence (AI), I asked students to create a set number of questions, three of which had to begin with “why” or “how”. I gave them the following examples to assist them: “How does the writer feel this technology will impact human autonomy?” or “Why is there a debate about the ethics of AI in healthcare?”

Once again, this led not only to a more engaging reading exercise but to a more meaningful discussion post-task.

Ask students to write their own assessment questions 

Incorporating question-writing into higher education assessments helps reinforce the habit of asking thoughtful questions. It also encourages students to take ownership of their learning and actively engage with the material.

When creating an assessment, I ask students to submit at least one original question about the course material that they feel is important to be able to answer. For example, in a mid-term assessment, students could be required to pose a question based on the material studied so far and then provide a detailed answer. These could then be exchanged with other class members, and the activity could be extended to include peer assessment and feedback.

I recently asked students to create a question relating to a climate change issue and answer it themselves in an essay. The questions students created and answered gave me insight into their knowledge and understanding both of the course content and of what was required in written assignments. I asked students to assess each other’s essays to give them autonomy over their learning, after providing them with a feedback checklist for reference. 

As university educators, we should not just to teach content but to inspire curiosity and independent thinking skills that students can carry with them on their journey as lifelong learners. 

By actively encouraging students to come up with their own questions for learning and assessment, educators can foster a classroom environment that prioritises enquiry, critical thinking and active engagement.

Gareth Owen is senior language lecturer at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

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