Experiments Relating Teachers’ Use of Higher Cognitive Questions to Student Achievement

There is much professional consensus that teacher questions have a major impact on the quality and quantity of student achievement. Indeed, in an earlier review of the research on teacher questions, Gall (1970) labeled this belief a truism. Also, textbooks on teaching methods extol questioning techniques as a central element in teaching (e.g., Hoover, 1976). Indeed, some authors (e.g., Hunkins, 1972; Cunningham, 1971) imply to their readers that research has demonstrated relatively conclusively that particular kinds of questions and questioning strategies are more effective than others for promoting particular kinds of student achievement such as thinking. Over the last two decades, efforts have been made to test assumptions and claims about the effects of teaching practices such as using more higher cognitive questions. Rosenshine (1971), and Dunkin and Biddle (1974) already have reviewed much research in the general area of teacher effects (see also Journal of Teacher Education, Summer, 1976),