Students’ questions play an important role in meaningful learning and scientific inquiry. They are a potential resource for both teaching and learning. The formulation of a good question is a creative act. Asking questions in class is one of the thinking processing skills which is structurally embedded in the thinking operation of critical thinking, creative thinking, and a problem solving. Students asking questions in class plays an important role in the teaching and learning process.
Questions raised by students activate their prior knowledge, focus their learning efforts, and help them elaborate on their learning efforts, and help them elaborate on their knowledge as well. However, the act of composing questions by students focuses the attention of students on content, main ideas, and checking if content is understood. The ability to ask good questions is also an important component of scientific literacy, where the goal of making individuals critical consumers of scientific knowledge requires such a facility.
For students, posing their own questions is a first step towards filling their knowledge gaps and resolving puzzlement. The process of asking questions allows them to articulate their current understanding of a topic, to make connections with other ideas, and also to become aware 0of what they do or do not know. In this regard, students’ generated questions are also an important aspect of both self and peer assessment. The skill of questioning is also important in problem-solving and decision making.
Additionally, asking good questions in class by students’ has the potential to facilitate productive thinking in students, enhance creativity and higher order thinking. However, the ability to generate interesting, productive ideas and answers is dependent on being able to first come up with good questions. More so, while questions serve useful functions for learners, they are also helpful to teachers in prompting reflective thought and student engagement.
Students’ questions provide insight into their knowledge, understanding, and puzzlement, and act as a window into their minds. Thus, for the teacher, such questions can diagnose students’ understanding by revealing the quality of students’ thinking and conceptual understanding, conceptual difficulties, alternative frameworks, and confusion about concepts, their reasoning, and what students’ want to know. When these puzzles are solved by the reason of the answers provided by the teacher, it automatically improves students’ knowledge on that particular topic or subject matter under discourse. The type of question and the content embedded therein can also indicate the questioner’s depth of thinking.
Therefore, students’ should be encouraged to ask questions in class on any topic they don’t understand or need more clarity on as this will help to maintain a steady flow between teacher and students’.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Academic performance is the extent to which a student, teachers or institution has attained their shot or long term educational goals. It is also the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects. Academic performance is very important because it is strongly linked to the positive outcomes we value.
Academic performance of students’ is a key feature in education. It is considered to be the center around which the whole education system revolves. The academic performance of students tells a lot about an institution as it determines the success or failure of that academic institution. Both academic institutions and students need to sort ways to improve on academic performance as it has serves as bedrock for knowledge acquisition and the development of skills.
However, the top most priority of all educators is academic performance of students. Academic [performance involves meeting goals, achievements and objectives set in the program or course that a student attends. These are expressed through grades which are the result of an assessment that involves passing or not certain tests, subjects or courses.
The purpose of academic performance is to achieve an educational gap and learning. Academic performance however, involves factors such as the intellectual level, personality, motivation, skills, interests, study habits, self-esteem or the teacher-student relationship. When a gap between the academic performance and the student’s expected performance occurs, it refers to as diverging performance. An unsatisfactory academic performance is the one that is below the expected performance. Sometimes it can b related to teaching methods.
Academic performance of students is not restricted to only classroom performance it extends to even their undergraduate project. Undergraduate students need to understand that in as much as they try to excel in classroom examinations, tests and quizzes they must also look forward to writing an excellent undergraduate research project. Writing an undergraduate research project can be frustrating to undergraduate students’ especially for those who have no idea on how to get their project materials. Little wonder why undergraduate students’ even though excited to be in final year, are also anxious and full of fear at the thought of writing final year research project. But anxiety and fear can be taken care of with the knowledge of how to get your research materials. Students can get their undergraduate project materials online. You can simply Google your project topic or a particular variable in your undergraduate project topic to get materials online. You get to find related research materials that are related to your project topic that way you can use it as part of your undergraduate project materials.
WHY STUDENTS ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS
1) TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC
One of the reasons why students ask questions in class is to have a better understanding of the topic. As the saying goes that no one misses his way when he asks questions so it is in the classroom. When students ask questions, it is not because they feel like it but rather they seek clarity and better understanding of the subject matter and topic under discourse.
However, it is also important that teachers create conducive atmosphere that allows students to ask questions on topics they do not understand or seek further knowledge on.
2) TO HAVE OTHER IDEAS AND OPTIONS WHEN FACED WITH SIMILAR QUESTIONS
Another reason why students ask questions is to have other ideas and options when faced with similar questions. Most of the questions students ask is just so they can defensive when confronted with such questions outside the walls of the school environment or when in an intellectual gathering where intellectual ideas are shared and various opinions given on a particular subject matter. Therefore, when students get substantial answer to their questions, it boosts their confidence as well as makes them eager to make contributions to intellectual discourse wherever they find themselves.
HOW TO ASK MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS IN CLASS
1) ALWAYS TAKE DOWN NOTES OF LECTURES
It is important that students understand that in as much as it is encouraged that they ask questions in class, it is more important that they understand how to ask meaningful and relevant questions. One of such ways is to always take down notes of lectures. There is no way you would be in steady flow with the lecture in class if you don’t take don notes. Taking down lecture notes not only help you identify areas you need clarity, but also serves as a tool for your personal and group reading as well as material for further study. Therefore, it is important that you take down lecture notes as it will also help you not to kiss out on some important points made by the lecturer.
2) TRY TO FORM QUESTIONS FROM THE NOTE YOU TOOK
Another point to note is forming questions from the lecture note you took down. Most students have the habit of neglecting their lecture notes immediately after that particular lecture until the next lecture. But it is important that students know how important it is to revisit your lecture note, read and form questions from them to be asked in the next class. By so doing, you are helping yourself and also a way of gaining more knowledge. It also allows you time to go through the lecture note properly and take note of what you don’t understand or seek more clarity on.
3) ASK THE QUESTIONS AND WRITE DOWN THE RESPONSE FROM YOUR LECTURER
After writing down the questions either identified in class during lecture or formed from the lecture note you took down, you must not forget to write down the response/answers given by your lecturer on that particular question. It will help you retain and you can always go back to your note to read the answers given by your lecturer. Writing down the response given to your questions by your lecturer will can serve as a tool and motivation for further research and knowledge.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it can be said that students asking questions in class can help students to monitor their own learning, explore and scaffold their ideas, steer thinking in certain specific directions, and advance their understanding of specific concepts and phenomena.
Students’ questions can also be harnessed for lessons that involve class discussions, argumentation, investigations, problem-based learning and project work.
Teachers must understand that questions don’t just emerge spontaneously from students’, rather they have to be encouraged and teachers have to specifically employ strategies to elicit them. This is because ultimately, it is the teacher who holds the key to providing an atmosphere that encourages pr discourages students’ questions. To nurture the spirit of inquiry in students and cultivate questioning as a habit of mind, a central role for any teacher, therefore, is to foster a classroom environment where it is intellectually, socially and academically rewarding for students’ to pose thoughtful questions.
In summary, asking questions by students’ in class improves their knowledge which can lead to an improved general academic performance.