Formulating the Research Question [3:46]

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Learn strategies to help students ask dynamic and effective questions

Transcript

Once students have spent some time exploring a topic, they can begin to narrow down the focus of their inquiry by formulating specific research questions. To help students develop questions that will provoke substantive research, define different categories of questions for students, such as knowing, analyzing, and creating, and discuss the cyclical nature of questioning itself.

Identifying different types of questions and seeing what those questions reveal can not only help students move towards deeper inquiry, but help them develop their own sense of metacognition. Here, we'll group questions into knowing, analyzing, and creating questions. The exact vocabulary used to describe these question types may vary from school to school—the important thing is for all teaching faculty to use a common terminology to support student understanding.

Knowing questions get at the basic information about a subject: who, what, where, and when. Questions like "What was the California Gold Rush?" or "Who uncovered the Watergate scandal?" help students build important background knowledge, even if such Google-friendly queries don't lead students to that illuminating "aha!" moment. In a deep inquiry process, knowing questions set the stage for more complex analyzing and creating questions.

Analyzing questions depart from basic information gathering and venture into deeper territory where students begin to draw conclusions from the information they uncover. How and Why questions are often valuable in this pursuit. After learning what the California Gold Rush was, students can deepen their inquiry by asking, "How were the left-behind families impacted by the Gold Rush?" After learning who was behind the discovery and reporting of the Watergate scandal, students can then ask, "How did the Watergate story change the way political news stories were reported afterwards?"

Creating questions allow students to evaluate, make judgments, and draw conclusions. "What lessons from the California Gold Rush can we apply to cryptocurrency today?" "What political news stories today might have the same impact on journalism as the Watergate scandal?" As students learn how different types of questions can reveal different levels of knowledge, they can assume more ownership over their own learning.

As students formulate and pursue their research questions, they'll benefit from learning about the cyclical aspect of the inquiry process. As we know, one question may lead to some answers, which in turn may provoke more curiosity and new questions. The concept of cyclical questioning can be a somewhat unsettling one for students, especially if they're used to posing one closed question, Googling for one answer, and letting that be the end of their research. They may feel frustrated at first, but as they embrace the idea that identifying new questions is just as important as finding answers, they'll feel more comfortable with the act of deeper, exploratory research.

The more students understand the value of formulating questions, whether knowing, analyzing, or creating, the more they can see and appreciate research as an ongoing process, rather than a quick path to an easier answer.

Activities

Essential Questions

More often than not, the question a student first poses is either too broad or not provocative enough to drive a full inquiry process. Guiding students to create narrower and deeper questions helps them get more out of their research experience. Read Debbie Abilock's article, "Adding Friction. How Do I Teach Students to Write a Researchable Inquiry Question?" (in Resources below), on researchable inquiry questions and then complete the Reflect & Practice activity.

RESOURCES:

Form

Adding Friction. How Do I Teach Students to Write a Researchable Inquiry Question?

Article

REFLECT & PRACTICE:

In "How Do I Teach Students to Write a Researchable Inquiry Question?" Debbie Abilock describes the process of moving from an "information retrieval question" to an "essential question." Take a look at the examples highlighted in the above form and explain what makes them different. Then develop some additional examples to share with your students.

Entry ID: 2215148

Question Stems

In a directed inquiry project, you may be the one providing students with a big question to explore—one that when answered demonstrates a student's understanding of the topic. In the article "Repackaging Research: Local Landmarks and Famous Faces" (found in Resources below), Paige Jaeger walks through the process of helping a teacher revamp a lesson to include questions aimed at higher-level thinking. After reading the article, complete the Reflect & Practice activity.

RESOURCES:

Form

Repackaging Research: Local Landmarks and Famous Faces

Article

REFLECT & PRACTICE:

After reading Paige Jaeger's advice to a teacher librarian, review the Question Stems chart in the above form. Then select a topic from a grade level that you teach, perhaps in an existing collaboration or something you might like to develop. Practice moving to meatier inquiry questions by filling out the chart with questions related to this topic.

Entry ID: 2215149

Additional Resources

Bibliography.

About the Authors

Rebecca J. Morris, MLIS, PhD, is teaching associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information. She earned her master's degree and doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh and her undergraduate degree in elementary education at Pennsylvania State University. Rebecca has published articles in journals including School Library Research, Knowledge Quest, School Libraries Worldwide, Teacher Librarian and the Journal of Research on Young Adults in Libraries. She is the author of School Libraries and Student Learning: A Guide for School Leaders (Harvard Education Publishing Group, 2015). Rebecca is a former elementary classroom teacher and middle school librarian.

Email: rmorris@schoollibraryconnection.com

Twitter: @rebeccajm87.

Sharon Coatney is a former library media specialist from Kansas. She is a past president of the AASL and Councilor at Large of the American Library Association. She is now the Senior Acquisitions Editor for Education and School Library Products at Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press.

Seth Taylor, MFA, has 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and professional development specialist. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Rhetoric, Composition and Research Methodology at San Diego State University, Colorado State University, and the University of Redlands.

Jane Cullina, MSEd, is the professional development manager for School Library Connection and ABC-CLIO. A former children's librarian and humanities teacher, Jane earned her master's degree from the Bank Street College of Education in New York City and has taught in Boston, New York, Maine, California, and South Africa.

Select Citation Style:

MLA Citation

"Inquiry-Based Learning. Formulating the Research Question [3:46]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, July 2019, schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214193?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902.

Chicago Citation

"Inquiry-Based Learning. Formulating the Research Question [3:46]." School Library Connection video. July 2019. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214193?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902.

APA Citation

Inquiry-based learning. Formulating the research question [3:46] [Video]. School Library Connection. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214193?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214193?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902

Entry ID: 2214193