Connecting Classrooms school-based project.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, London, SW15 2QD

Developing Critical Thinking through questioning.

What did we want to achieve?

A connecting classroom school-based project.

Project aim:

• To strengthen the process of critical thinking in either geography and/or history through the development of questioning techniques.

Impact measures:

• Move the teacher/pupil questioning ratio from 50:50 towards 30:70.

• Learners show a growth mindset and a higher level of thinking through the use of the types of questions they ask.

How did we go about developing the project?

Phase 1: Whole School CPD on 4th January 2016 (Involving

SMT, teachers & LSAs.

Session Aims

• To embed the ideas of Bloom’s Taxonomy to support critical thinking within the classroom.

• To raise awareness of questioning strategies to strengthen the process of critical thinking.

• To underline the importance of the ‘pupil questioning voice’.

The question Key

Warm up activity

What would happen if

everyone woke up

tomorrow one metre

taller than they are

today?

What is it?

PPPB (Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce) is a simple, yet sophisticated, AFL (Assessment for Learning) questioning technique to help teachers move from good-to-outstanding. It also helps address differentiation in the classroom and encourages teachers to slow down, take risks and tease out understanding...

Reference:

1. Where hands-up in class is banned! BBC Education News.

2. Content, then process – Solution Tree video featuring Dylan Wiliam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioeI-zZPx9g

The big question: How can we strengthen the process of critical thinking in either geography and/or history in your Spring 1 Learning Challenge?

Subsidiary question 1: Who is driving the learning, developing questions and leading investigations?

Subsidiary question 2: How will we ensure progression in questioning skills.

Opportunity to Plan for critical thinking in your Spring 1 Learning Challenge.

Subsidiary question 1:

Who is driving the learning, developing questions and leading investigations?

Questions Asked

In a one hour

lesson, what

percentage of

questions are asked

by the teacher, and

what percentage are

asked by children?

Answer

95/5

Responding to questioning

On average how

long does a

teacher wait for

a response to a

question?

Answer

2.7 seconds

Activity 1: 20 Questions (A strategy

of using images, to involve the ‘pupil

questioning voice’ and to baseline learning.)

Look at the images placed around the

classroom and write down 20

questions about this place.

Subsidiary question 2:

How will we ensure progression in questioning skills?

S’ Developing Questioning

skills using Bloom’s

Taxonomy (6 levels of

higher order thinking)

Concrete

thinking

skills

Critical

Thinking

Skills

Activity 2: 20 Questions (A strategy

of using images, to involve the ‘pupil

questioning voice’ and to baseline learning.)

How do your questions match the

levels of critical thinking outlined in

Blooms Taxonomy?

Results of task

Activity 3: Developing a

framework for progression in

questioning.

Look at the questions on your Bloom’s

Taxonomy flowers and the framework used

by Chaddesley Corbett Primary School. Now

write down some generic questions and

extension strategies for your year group.

Source: Progression in questioning skills, p22-3, Primary Geography, Spring 2013.

Activity 4: Reviewing your

Spring 1 Learning Challenge.

• Annotate the connecting

classrooms school-based

project proposal to show

how you will strengthen

critical thinking in your

Spring 1 Learning

Challenge, with particular

reference to Geography and

History.

Connecting Classrooms school-based project.

Phase 2: Agreed Project Proposal and Timeline which arose out of the

Whole School CPD.

Developing critical thinking in geography & history.

Project proposal: To strengthen the process of critical thinking in either geography and/ or history through the development of questioning techniques. Scale: Whole School. Impact measures/ Outcomes. •Move the teacher/pupil questioning ratio from 50:50 to 30:70. •Learners show a growth mindset and a higher level of thinking in the use of the types of questions they ask. Types of evidence required. •Lesson observations to show the number and types of questions asked by learners. •Samples of work to show the types of questions the children are asking in either history and/or geography. •New learning which has taken place as a result of the types of questions they ask.

Methodology.

1.Through a CPD opportunity, teachers would be introduced to a range of techniques for asking better questions.

2.Teachers would then select one questioning technique to use in the classroom for either geography or history.

3.Lesson observations to focus on the teacher/pupil questioning ratio and the types of questions asked by learners matched to Blooms Taxonomy.

4.Samples of work taken to show new learning/thinking that has taken place by the learner.

Project timeline.

November – December 2015: Teachers introduced to techniques for asking better questions.

4th January 2016: Whole school CPD on Critical Thinking.

5th -22nd January 2016: Teachers use better questioning techniques with their classes.

School week beginning 5th January 2016:

•Developing a no hands up classroom using the lolly stick approach.

•Introduce examples of critical thinking questions based on Blooms Taxonomy in history and/or geography.

•Complete a frequency questioning tally chart and a critical thinking question type tally sheet to baseline where the children are in your classroom.

Developing critical thinking in geography & history

School week beginning 11th January 2016 •Develop the Pose, Pause, Bounce, Pounce approach in the context of history and/or geography. (KS1 to use daily images as stimulation and Disney characters to reinforce the approach.) 12th January 2016: Staff meeting to review critical thinking strategies used. School week beginning 18th January 2016. •Develop thinking time by using the ‘Think, Pair, Share’ approach in history and/or geography. (EYFS to focus on extension questions e.g. Tell me about….? What do you think about...? How?, Why?. Undertake possible activities like Hot Seating, Role Play, Discussions, Imagery stimulation, Knowledge mind maps etc.) 25th -29th January peer lesson observations and work sampling. Focus on the frequency and types of questions used in the classroom by completing a: •Frequency of questions tally chart. •Critical thinking tally chart. •Collecting work samples to show the progress and impact of critical thinking 1st – 5th February 2016: Outcomes analysed and shared in school as a PowerPoint Presentation.

Critical thinking group meet on Monday 1st February to analyse results and develop a PowerPoint to share results. Share impact of the project with all staff. 9th February 2016: Critical thinking projects shared at Staff Meeting. How can we move the project forward? 11th February 2016: Outcomes shared at the British Council Connecting Classrooms Workshop.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Frequency of questions tally chart.

Questions asked by the teacher Questions asked by the pupils.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Critical Thinking Tally Sheet (To be used to record the types of questions used in a lesson).

Knowledge (Questions used to recall facts)

Comprehension (Questions used to seek understanding of facts)

Application (Questions used in a new learning situation, such as problem solving).

Analysis (Questions that seek to examine detail, or which makes inferences and/or looks for answers).

Synthesis (Questions which seek to change or create something new).

Evaluation (Questions which seek to justify present and/or defend opinions by making judgements).

Instruments of measure

Developing Critical Thinking through questioning.

How well did we achieve out aims?

Connecting Classrooms school-based project.

Phase 3: Initial Findings.

Using Images to generate questions.

History: The Stone Age

Year 2 Geography/History Questions

Baseline questions to begin the project.

Qualitative comments by teachers on the no hands up strategy and the use of lolly sticks.

• The children were enthusiastic about the approach. • It reduced competitive nature of some children to feel

that they have to answer questions. • Lolly sticks kept the children on task. • It gave all children in the classroom and opportunity to

share their thinking and learning. • It improved the children’s listening skills. • It allowed children the opportunity to think aloud in

class in a safe environment. • The children responded to questions calmly as a result

of the approach.

Qualitative comments by teachers on the PPPB strategy.

• The children are positively engaged with the process. Creates excitement. • It allows children more time to process the question and to think. • Is good for role modelling answers to the rest of the class. • Improves the children’s listening skills. • Encourages children to consider alternative thinking and to build on that

thinking. • A greater variety of answers are now given in the classroom by the

children. • Has led to children debating the thinking of their peers. • Works well with the higher ability children. • The children’s answers can be linked to philosophy – ‘I agree…’ and ‘I

disagree..’ • PPPB is not just constrained to geography and history, it has now become

successful cross curricular strategy . • Forces the teacher to wait significantly longer for children to process

questions and to think.

Move the teacher/pupil questioning ratio from 50:50 to 30:70

Class Week 1 of the project Week 4 of the project

Nursery

Reception 41:59 38:62

Year 1 13:87 18:82

Year 2 63:37 28:72

Year 3 7:93 8:92

Year 4 24: 76 24: 76

Year 5 55:45 15:85

Year 6 80:20 60:40

Unknown observations carried out by LSAs during history/geography lessons . (January 2016)

Year 5 Geography questions on farming (week1).

Baseline question the children asked at the beginning of the topic. Most of the questions started with:

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

Who?

How?

Do?

Most of the questions asked were knowledge type questions.

Year 5 Geography: Matching questions to Blooms Taxonomy (Week 4)

More higher order questions are now being asked.

Learners show a growth mindset and a higher level of

thinking in the use of the types of questions they ask.

Kno Kno Com Com App App Ana Ana Syn Syn Eval Eval

wk1 wk4 wk1 wk4 wk1 wk4 wk1 wk4 wk1 wk4 wk1 wk4

N

Rec 8 2 3 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Yr1

Yr2 8 5 6 7 3 4 4 3 4 6 2 10

Yr3 88 35 104 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Yr4 10 3 9 5 7 6 8 6 5 5 4 6

Yr5 4 5 4 10 1 10 10 3 1 8 1 5

Yr6 60 40 55 45 40 60 30 70 35 65 30 70

Unknown observations carried out by LSAs during history/geography lessons . (January 2016)

Developing Critical Thinking through questioning.

What was the impact of the project?

What was the impact of the project?

Impact measure 1

Move the teacher/pupil questioning ratio from 50:50 towards 30:70.

Initial finding.

In 6 out of 7 classrooms surveyed, the pupils were asking more questions than the teacher.

Impact measure 2

Learners show a growth mindset and a higher level of thinking through the use of the types of questions they ask.

Initial finding.

In 5 out of 6 classrooms surveyed, learners were showing a growth mindset and a higher level of thinking through asking higher order questions.

Connecting Classrooms school-based project.

Phase 4: Next Steps.

Next Steps to move the project on!

Possible strategies to engage the learner: • Set up a good questions board in each classroom. • Award one member in each class a certificate for being the ‘questioner of

the week’. • Link classroom vocabulary walls to develop good questions e.g. Word of

the day used to base questions around. • Develop more P4C style debates as classroom practice and set ‘thinking’

homework, linked to the question of the week, which encourages children and parents to discuss and share ideas.

• Use questioning to address misconceptions and develop the pupil voice. • Use talk partners to deepen critical thinking and questioning. • Run a parent workshop on critical thinking and thinking skills. • Target groups of children e.g. FSM, EAL, SEND, More Able, with more

opportunities to develop their critical thinking and questioning skills to enhance progress.

These critical thinking strategies are great! I can’t stop myself using them beyond geography and history.

A Teacher from St. Joseph’s Primary School.