Student questioning: A componential analysis

Hans Van Der Meij
1994 Learning and Individual Differences  
This article reviews the literature on student questioning, organized through a modified version of Dillon's (1988aDillon's ( , 1990) componential model of questioning. Special attention is given to the properties of assumptions, questions, and answers. Each of these main elements are the result of certain actions of the questioner, which are described. Within this framework a variety of aspects of questioning are highlighted. One focus of the article is individual differences in question
more » ... . The complex interactions between students' personal characteristics, social factors, and questioning are examined. In addition, a number of important but neglected topics for research are identified. Together, the views that are presented should deepen our understanding of student questioning. The focus of this review is on spontaneous student questioning. Questioning is depicted from start to finish, from the onset of perplexity until the learning that may result. In addition, the characteristic features of questions are described, the assumptions that underlie them, and the answers that follow. Special attention will be given to individual differences in question asking per se and to individual differences in general constructs such as verbal ability and self-esteem that are related to question asking. All of these ideas will be presented within the general framework of the (slightly modified) componential model of questioning of Dillon (1988aDillon ( , 1990)). This model gives a coherent view on questioning in which the many and diverse studies that relate to student questioning can be placed. That this is not a trivial matter should be clear considering the fact that relevant findings on the topic of student questions can be found in more than a dozen disciplines (e.g., logic, computer science, linguistics, pedagogy and psychology, see Dillon, 1982a Dillon, , 1986a Dillon, , 1990)), all of which have their own terminology and variety of dependent measures detailing some aspects of questioning. Another reason for using the componential model was to discover unexplored Direct all commondance to: Hans van der Meii.
doi:10.1016/1041-6080(94)90007-8 fatcat:efhspqca7na5pdf6sryb5d2rty