Question-asking responses related to picture versus reading stimuli at selected elementary levels
Date
1973
Authors
Wagstaffe, Frances Edith
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Abstract
Several critics of education have suggested that children learn not to ask questions as a result of their school experiences. This study was designed to provide a description of quantity and quality of questions asked about a reading passage and about a picture by pupils in grades 3 through 7.
There were two general hypotheses for the study. The first predicted that Ss. at the higher educational levels would ask fewer questions about both stimuli; and that there would be a greater differential between the questions illicited by the two stimuli at each succeeding educational level.
The second general hypothesis predicted that with regard to quality of questions Ss. at each higher educational level would ask significantly more lower than higher quality questions about the reading. Their questions about the picture stimulus would remain at about the same quality at each educational level.
A sample of 120 Ss., 24 from each grade, was interviewed and required to ask questions about picture and reading stimuli. A five level scale was constructed. Questions from levels one to five were considered to be successively more useful for self-learning.
Results showed that Ss. at every grade level asked more questions about the picture than about the reading stimuli. There were more questions asked about both stimuli at the grade 7 level than at the grade 3 level.
With regard to quality of questions, the median number of higher level questions asked about the reading stimuli was zero at every grade. In response to the picture, the grade 7 students asked more questions at every level of quality than did students in any other grade.
It was concluded that although students in this study demonstrated the ability to ask higher level questions in response to the picture, they did not show this ability to ask them about the reading stimuli.
It was recommended that teachers should be aware of the quality of questions their students ask about reading and should consider the possibilities for higher level questions in reading materials which they select for use in class.