The Power Of Asking Questions In A Classroom; Why, How, And What?

The prime purpose of education is to enlighten human minds with knowledge and knowledge is acquired in a true sense by those who are curious; the ones who ask questions. Asking questions is a crucial factor for a healthy learning process, therefore the culture of asking questions should be encouraged in schools and students should be empowered to ask questions.

Often it has been noticed that students are reluctant to ask questions due to reasons like shyness, fear of their peers, fear of appearing foolish, difficulty in forming the question, fear of being judged, etc. A student must be provided an environment to get rid of such inhibitions. A student for overall growth and development must be made to understand that no question is insignificant.

The significance of asking questions:

Confidence-booster: Raising your hand to ask a question in the classroom can be intimidating, but the more often you do it the more confident you become. Like everything else, even this trait can be mastered with practice. The constant exposure helps you develop self-perception. When you ask questions, you not only get the answers you seek but also the required self-assurance to be vulnerable. Asking questions makes you a little more confident every time you do that.

Breaks the Monotony and Increases Engagement: It is extremely boring and monotonous when the teacher is the only one speaking and the students fail to respond. The exchange of questions and answers can break the ice and make things more interesting by invoking curiosity that acts as a catalyst for a healthy learning environment.

Questions Make Room for More Questions: Every time a question is asked it leads to another question providing more ground for discussion and information-sharing. In an informative classroom setup where questions are asked curiosity never dies and the more curious you are the more, you are willing to seek answers and expand your horizons of knowledge. Thus, asking questions is directly associated with the primary goal of education, which is seeking knowledge. It helps in creating an environment where students actively participate in classroom activities.

Make Students Think, Learn and Grow: Questions add value to learning. When you ask questions, it shows your interest in the subject. Asking questions helps you develop critical abilities. Also, you must know that it’s normal to not understand something immediately after being taught or to have doubts, but what’s not right is to harbor that doubt forever or depriving yourself of knowledge just because you don’t want to ask a question. You ask questions and you ace your academic life.

Feedback to Teachers: When you ask questions, your teachers get to know where you stand or how much you have understood. When you don’t ask questions your teachers assume that you understood what was being taught unless you present your doubts and indicate otherwise.

"The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge." – Thomas Berger