What Students Think of Questions

     A few days ago I had an interesting experience while questioning my students.  It started in Math class.  I had the following problem on the board:
Jack says 2/5 + 2/5 = 4/10.                                                                Jill says 2/5 + 2/5 is 4/5.
     I had the students sign their names under what they thought was the correct answer.  The first to sign up was one of my brightest students in Math.  She (correctly) chose Jill's answer. Other students rapidly signed up under Jill's answer.  Lastly, my behavior-disordered student signed his name under Jack's answer.  Suddenly, like a leak in a dike, one child after another moved their name to Jack's side, until about half the class had chosen the correct answer and half the incorrect answer.  I gave each child a personal whiteboard and asked them to find two ways to prove their answer was correct.  If this changed their mind, they were welcome to move their name.  More shuffling of names ensued.  Finally, I paired up the students that answered "Jack" with the students that favored "Jill" and had them explain their reasoning to their partner.  They could change their answer if they wish.  After one last shuffle, only three students remained on the wrong side.
     I asked the students, particularly the ones that changed answers several time, to examine why they changed their ideas.  What convinced them?  What failed to convince them?
     Later that same day (with a different group of students), I asked the class to evaluate the activities we had done over the past four days.  The students have participated in a "Mission to Mars" simulation in order to help them understand the journey of Lewis and Clark.  However, I have never mentioned Lewis and Clark to the students, nor told them why we were simulating a Mission to Mars.  I asked the class:  The past few days, have we been doing a Science or a Social Studies unit?  I used this question in order to determine if they understand that Social Studies is the study of human experience.  At first vote, everyone agreed it was a Social Studies unit.  As I questioned students about the reason for their choices, they began to doubt their choice.  More and more students became convinced that they were beginning a Science unit.
     Before the class became thoroughly confused, I told them about the similar experience I had had that day in Math.  That how asking students to clarify and explain their work caused them to question their answer, until many had gone back and forth several times and were very confused.  I felt on the verge of understanding something about critical about using questioning itself.  I asked my students:  Why do teachers ask you questions in school?  Why do we ask you the reasons for your choices?  Many students said that, when the teacher did that, they began to doubt their answer.  They assumed, if questioned, that the answer was wrong.  When they couldn't explain how or why they knew, that confirmed for them that their original "gut answer" was incorrect.  I emphasized to them that, when a teacher asks you to "prove it", he or she is trying to tap into your memory and logic skills that led to that (often correct)  "gut answer".  In fact, more often than not, if a teacher asks you to prove it, he or she means you are right!
     It is so interesting to me how teachers and students perceive things differently.  Is this the result of a lack of questioning?  Should I add more questioning into my teaching?  Or is this indicative of the age of the pupils or the impact of their home environment?  I would love to hear comments from you!