The changes that be?
Penick, John E. (1995). New Goals for Biology Education. Bioscience, vol.45, pg. 41-52.
There must be changes in what teachers do in the classroom to establish an environment where learning takes place. Teachers do what they are comfortable to do, such as lecturing straight from the book and telling students to read a chapter and answer the questions at the end. Straight lectures does not have the propensity to move students in the right direction. This method of instruction is not what we need in our biology classes, because it is not how students learn how to understand biology. In creating a classroom where students and teachers engage in higher-order thinking through questions, students can comprehend the lesson being taught. Also questions can reveal misconceptions and misunderstandings that can be addressed for teachers to help students in the right direction. By providing questions with critical thinking levels in discussion or on tests, students can move towards innovative thinking.
Reasons in having higher-order leveled questions:
Positive Attitude- Students who do not have a positive attitude toward science are likely to become adults with negative attitudes. Questions can promote a positive attitude in students by having them interact on topics that are meaningful.
Effective communication- Questions provide students to learn to communicate, and teachers must put them in positions where they all communicate, not only the teacher. Oral or written questions whether in groups or in whole class can help students become effective communicators. It also encourages students to become more talkative and draws in reserved students into discussion that will impart more competency.
Creativity- Teachers want students to be more creative, however teaching styles and tests that are not effective limit creativity. In using questions, it moves ideas innovatively from the abstract to the concrete, to acknowledge proficient points made previously, or to elicit a summary or provide closure.
Active classrooms- Teachers must provide a stimulating environment. Using questions in activities can engage students in what they want to know. The more they question you, the more likely they are to be involved, to know what is going on, and to learn.