Chapter 1
Students as Learners
Course: Principles Of Learning And Teaching 5622
Subject: Principles Of Learning And Teaching
Chapter: Instructional Process
1. The components of effective questioning
a. Allowing think/wait time
- Students often need processing time to recall, analyze, organize ideas, or translate thoughts into language
- Wait time increases student accuracy, depth, and participation, especially for multilingual learners and students who process internally
- Teacher may signal wait time (e.g., “Take a few seconds to think,” silent countdown, think-pair-share)
b. Helping students articulate their ideas
- Teachers provide scaffolds (sentence starters, graphic organizers, guided language frames) that help students explain reasoning
- Encourages metacognition as students learn to verbalize thought processes, clarify logic, and refine vocabulary
- Example prompts: “Walk me through your thinking,” “What led you to that conclusion?”
c. Respecting students’ answers
- Teacher acknowledges attempts, encourages risk-taking, and avoids negative reactions that discourage participation
- Builds trust and a climate where all contributions are valued