Thinking Through Quality Questioning
Deepening Student Engagement
- Jackie Acree Walsh - Educational Consultant, Montgomery, AL
- Beth Dankert Sattes - Educational Consultant, Charleston, WV
Asking the right questions is the answer
This groundbreaking book provides teachers with an accessible, research-based blueprint for developing student metacognitive skills and ensuring that students take responsibility for their own learning. The authors use the findings of cognitive scientists to highlight quality questioning behaviors and explain how to apply them for improved student outcomes. Key features include:
- Short vignettes of quality questioning in action
- Evidence that ties question strategy to student achievement
- An overview of collaborative, written, electronic, and group response strategies
- Examples of how quality questioning connects to formative assessment
Special note regarding the eBook version: Some figures have been redacted in compliance with digital rights permissions.
"This book delivers on the double meaning of its title. It makes a compelling argument that quality questioning is the primary catalyst for thinking in the classroom and offers practical tools for crafting questions worth thinking about. I have found no better resource for unleashing the power of questioning as a force for student learning in the 21st century than Thinking Through Quality Questioning."
"Any educator who believes that our students MUST be able to think deeply in order to flourish in our world today and in the future, will not be able to put this book down!"
“Thinking Through Quality Questioning is an excellent resource for teachers to promote student thinking, student engagement and hold students accountable for their learning. The power of this book is that it not only outlines teacher behaviors but it specifically connects them to student outcomes and behaviors. It truly supports the notion of students being more involved in the classroom translates into increased student learning!”
“I believe one of our goals as teachers is to have students who can think at high levels and apply that knowledge across disciplines. Thinking Through Quality Questioning is a practical way for teachers to guide students as thinkers not just doers in the classroom. The book gives support to teachers as they promote personal responsibility for learning in their classrooms. I recommend this book to all teachers as they continue guiding students through this journey.”
"The skillful use of questioning in a classroom is vital to student engagement and learning. It's difficult to imagine a classroom in which students are involved in deep conceptual learning that did not depend for its success on the teacher's use of questions to promote thinking and engagement. The authors fully explore this important topic."
"Be prepared to question how you teach. Thinking through Quality Questioning provides an easy to follow format of how teachers can authentically engage students and instill in them a desire to question and search for answers. A must-read for teachers!"
“Thinking Through Quality Questioning not only provides the tools needed to frame effective questions, it also provides the structures necessary to elicit thoughtful student responses and dialogue. The book guides educators through the process of creating a classroom rich in productive interactions by providing both practical examples and supporting frameworks."
"For educators who value student engagement, inquiry, and self-efficacy, this is the book. Based on 22 years of study, Jackie Walsh and Beth Sattes provide a framework for posing quality questions that promote student metacognition and responsibility, as well as provide feedback to inform instruction. As partners in learning, teachers and students will both benefit as a result of the researched knowledge and practical strategies offered in Thinking through Quality Questioning."
“The critical challenge for educators today is to successfully prepare students for a world which we don’t yet know, and for jobs that don’t yet exist. Schools must transform students into independent, lifelong learners equipped to make thoughtful decisions. Thinking through Quality Questioning is a valuable resource for teachers committed to helping students learn how to learn."
“Anyone in an educational leadership position knows the pressure to do more with less. Thinking through Quality Questioning reminded me that providing teachers with quality teaching tools is the best and most inexpensive means of improving teaching and learning. The book is clear, concise, and well-researched. As a recently retired superintendent, I can easily see this book becoming the focus for a year-long book study and professional learning experience.”