Into Questioning Strategies and Understanding

an the use of teacher led “why” questioning techniques improve student learning of texts in K-12 educational settings? Much of the educational reform movement seeks to deemphasize the centrality of the teacher in leading classroom discussions in favor of more ‘student-centered’ approaches (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 1999, Hirsch 1996), but research in this line seems both appropriate and necessary. While orientations toward decentralization of teacher authority reflect an interpretation of constructivism that sees student activity and ownership of educational activities as key components in learning, it is important to note that teacher led questioning is quite compatible with all but the most extreme variants of constructivism. Moreover, such teachercentered approaches may ultimately prove more practicable in that they require less wholesale change of teacher beliefs and practices than more centralized approaches. The prominent role of teacher as mediator plays a vital part in the Vygotskyian sociocultural framework. According to this brand of constructivism, the teacher functions as an important middle person in students’ acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Even NeoPiagetians, modern proponents of the theories advanced by Piaget (generally characterized as advocating the most extreme of discovery constructivism) point to the potential inefficiency of pure discovery teasing out the role that the instructor can play in pushing development forward. While these strands of constructivism all deny that understandings can be imposed as such on students, they also realize that the timely presentation of educational stimuli in an organized manner can drive learning. Children still do the constructing, but teachers can provide the bricks and the model. From this perspective the proper use of questions may well allow teachers to be effective mediators in aiding students’ construction of knowledge and understanding.