Developing Research Questions

How does a dynamic learning environment develop strong research questions? According to first grader, Regan, questions enable learning: “…when all of us are thinking and thinking and thinking together, we make like a big idea, and then we do it, and then we figure out what the thing is!” In fact, “questioning cultivates student engagement and drives instruction throughout the learning process” (McGough and Nyberg 2015, 2). Educators and students need a learning environment that not only stimulates questions but also provides opportunities to engage in the process of seeking answers to those questions. A dynamic learning environment filled with questions builds relationships between students and teachers, students and their learning, and teachers and their practice. Strong research questions help teachers analyze the science of teaching and learning and help students seek answers to questions about their world.

As educators, what are we questioning? A story from the last day of school illustrates an opportunity to reflect on my practice and observe my students' thinking one more time before they leave for the summer. If you were to peer into my classroom on the last day of school you would see chairs stacked, tables pushed against one side of the room, bare walls, boxes piled high on the counter, and empty space that during the year was filled with wonder and excitement. The past tense version of that idea triggers an interesting question. Does the wonder and excitement only exist in the classroom when it is alive with people, things, and energy? Or does the wonder and excitement go out into the world with the children as they walk out the door?

On the last day of school some of my students approached me with a clear plastic container. The container once filled with bubble solution had been washed out and now had leaves, dirt, sticks, and rolly pollies in it! Knowing that all the books were packed away for the summer and all the computers were turned off and stored, my students asked me if I would look up what rolly pollies eat on my phone. Young students engaged in the process of seeking answers to their questions to solve a problem. As a teacher, I engaged in the process of reflecting on how learning experiences throughout the year impacted students, not just what they have learned but how they connect those experiences to new ones. Students did not ask me directly what rolly pollies eat. That tells me that they do not look at me as a dispenser of knowledge but rather as resource and a guide to help them seek information.

Thinking about this experience through a research lens, I observe students using higher level vocabulary like decomposers. I observe students making connections to previous experiences (a study of worms) and making inferences to determine why previously made rolly polly houses did not work. I observe students asking questions, locating resources, and collaborating about prior and new information. I observe students planning a new investigation to determine if they can build a rolly polly habitat that has all the things that the rolly polly needs to survive. Ultimately, I observe my students take the wonder and excitement of learning out the door and continue to think, question, seek, and learn on the last day of school.

So what am I questioning on the last day of school? I am questioning how my students use knowledge, skills, and resources to navigate learning outside the classroom walls. I engaged in the learning experience with the students interacting in the process while making observations of their responses. Why did I reflect on this experience? I am constantly curious about how my students learn. I want to know that they can use knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to solve problems and interact with the world around them.

A child should go to school each day excited to learn something new or deepen the learning from the day before. Every day of the entire school year offers opportunities to construct understanding and strengthen the learning foundation. Rich classroom experiences support student connections across content areas and develop an insightful learning story. We need to provide enough structure and enough scaffolding to allow students to artfully weave their own ideas and connections together to make sense of their learning. Teachers can look at the learning environment as a rich source of relationships to analyze through questioning and observation. A dynamic learning environment provides opportunities for both students and teachers to develop strong research questions.

Works Cited:

McGough, Julie V., and Lisa M. Nyberg. The Power of Questioning: Guiding Student Investigations. NSTA Press, 2015.