Interested teachers may want to know the relationships between curiosity and questioning. Abdelghani et al. (2023) present a compelling argument for school reform and improvement as they point out that the, “distinction between convergent and divergent questions underscores a critical aspect of the learning process that is often overlooked in today’s classrooms.” They designed a 75-student research experiment to test their ideas.
Convergent Vs. Divergent Questioning
“Convergent questions, characterized as memory-based inquiries aimed at retrieving already-known information, have been shown to contribute minimally to fostering children’s curiosity. On the other hand, divergent questions, designed to elicit extra and novel information by connecting facts or linking tasks to prior knowledge, are closely tied to the cognitive processes associated with epistemic curiosity. The research indicates a significant gap between the potential of divergent questioning to enhance curiosity and its underutilization in contemporary classrooms”
Classroom are dominated by teacher questioning, fear of asking a bad or not sufficiently smart question, and the reliance of memory instead of higher order thinking skill types of questions. Research by Abdelghani et al. (2023) suggests using ChatGPT to help level the playing field for lower performing students who do not ask as many divergent questions.
“These results suggest the efficiency of using LLMs to support children in generating more curious questions, using a natural language prompting approach that affords usability by teachers and other users not specialists of AI techniques. Furthermore, results also show that open-ended content may be more suitable for training curious question-asking skills”
“These findings call for a comprehensive reevaluation of educational practices and the implementation of school reforms to address the apparent gaps in questioning strategies. School improvement initiatives should focus on creating an environment that encourages and facilitates divergent questioning, fostering a culture where students feel empowered to explore, inquire, and connect information creatively.”
“Reforms could include teacher training programs that emphasize the importance of divergent questioning, promoting inclusive classroom dynamics that reduce fear of judgment, and restructuring learning spaces to facilitate collaborative inquiry. Additionally, incorporating technology and innovative teaching methods that encourage the development of high-level questioning skills can play a pivotal role in transforming the current educational landscape.”
In conclusion, the research on the relationship between curiosity and questioning provides a strong rationale for school reform and improvement. By addressing the underutilization of divergent questioning in classrooms and tackling the identified barriers, education systems can better cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding among students, ultimately contributing to more effective and meaningful learning experiences.
References
Abdelghani, Yen-Hsiang Wang, Xingdi Yuan, Tong Wang, Pauline Lucas, H´elene Sauzeon, and Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, (2023), GPT-3-driven pedagogical agents for training children’s curious question-asking skills. Found online at: National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
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