Convergent and divergent questions

What are convergent and divergent questions?

Convergent Questioning

 In order to initiate learners addressing reasoning as an active process, there need to be questioning skills that apply to provide this result. One type of questioning involves convergent statements that stimulate this form of thinking. This type of questioning involves recall and limits answers to questions to a single or small number of responses. It is referred to as closed questioning. There is no specified requirement for the learner to be involved in thought processes involving analysis, making a generalization, synthesis, prediction, or reflection. These kinds of questions are limited because the students don’t have to analyze or reflect in order to answer the question.

 Divergent Questioning

This type of question encourages a general or open response of the learner. This relates to indirect teaching strategies. There is no single best answer. Nonetheless, there is the potential for incorrect answers to divergent questions. Subsequently, it is often appropriate and necessary to follow up divergent questions with more detail, new information, or encouragement regarding deeper thinking/reflection. In this sense, divergent questions become a rich source of lively, spontaneous additional material that can make a teaching and learning situation interesting. This kind of question is not so limited and the student can share his ideas and can analyze what she or he is going to answer.

How can these types of questions help students?

Well I think that these can of questions help students to develop their speaking and writing skills, because they use the language that they are studying to answer these questions. Also these questions can help to those students that many times feel afraid to participate. Many times students prefer to write the answers because they take their time to answer, but it helps them to improve their writing skills.

I think that we as teachers have to use convergent and divergent questions when we teach, because if we do this we can help to our students to practice more. Besides this kind of questions help them to think and to reflect and also to share their ideas because for instance we ask them: what did you do yesterday? They won’t answer just yes or no; they will share how his/her day was. That’s why we must ask to students because doing this they will learn and develop their skills.

Also we, teachers, have to encourage them and we must be interested about what they talk in order to they feel comfortable given responses.