November 16, 2025 | Up to date November 17, 2025
What’s the definition of a ‘good query’?
We regularly say to at least one one other, ‘That’s a great query,’ by which we often imply, ‘I don’t know the reply’ or ‘I had not but thought to ask that but it surely appears value asking.’
We will start to outline a great query by looking at its reverse. A query might be ‘unhealthy’ for various causes. A query is barely a technique (for inquiry) and should subsequently have a function or intention if we need to consider its high quality.
(I’ve questioned concerning the Objective Of A Query earlier than which I included in our Information To Questioning In The Classroom).
It should have some form of purpose.
So most broadly, a query might be stated to be ‘unhealthy’ if it both doesn’t have a function or intention or doesn’t accomplish that purpose or intention (whereas additionally failing to trigger another impact that was unintended however nonetheless in some way constructive).
A foul query might be stated to be so if it’s irrelevant, imprecise, or makes use of unclear language.
A foul query will obscure fairly than reveal what a pupil is aware of now.
Additional, a foul query will deter fairly than encourage–or enable and promote–a pupil to create new data.
A query may be considered unhealthy if it, utilized in formative evaluation, yields no useable (formal or casual) information {that a} trainer can use to revise deliberate instruction.
Thus requested, a foul query stops each the trainer and pupil chilly with no clear and sensible path ahead.
A foul query intimidates, confuses (although not all confusion is unhealthy), or in some way causes a jarring emotion that makes the scholars skill to make use of their cortex as successfully as they’d in a calmer state.
It might be based mostly on defective premises, it might be loaded with cognitive biases, logical fallacies, or different irrational patterns of considering.
It might be exterior of the Zone of Proximal Improvement for the particular person it’s requested to (i.e., too simple or too troublesome).
It might not be too troublesome (by way of content material data) however its language or syntax might be unnecessarily complicated. The outcome right here is that the scholar will get the query ‘unsuitable’ although the ‘knew the content material.’
As we’ve clarified, a query is just a method for studying. A device. You would possibly, then, consider a ‘unhealthy query’ like a ‘unhealthy device’: it merely doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do.
In training, this often signifies that it fails to facilitate/promote studying within the short-term and/or long-term for the scholar.
query, in fact, is totally different. Whereas (largely) ignoring the nuance of the idea of high quality, there are some issues we’d take into account usually qualify a query pretty much as good (word the purposely imprecise language–some issues…would possibly take into account…usually qualify).
query–on a take a look at, for instance–will likely be environment friendly and exact relative to its function. If a selected educational normal the trainer desires to evaluate the scholar’s mastery of, the query should be written in a means that does precisely that: assesses their mastery of precisely that normal.
As we’ve mentioned, it is not going to have ‘fats’–pointless phrases, overly complicated vocabulary, or require different (pointless, unrelated, or nonetheless unlearned) data or abilities. Actually, a query can have such language and require data or abilities unrelated to the particular normal being assessed supplied that the trainer understands this–and thus understands that the scholar might get the query ‘unsuitable’ whereas probably nonetheless mastering the usual.
See? It’s difficult.
Conventional training has lengthy held that we should always assist college students be taught they usually can finest show they’re studying by answering questions precisely. However answering questions precisely can’t probably be the purpose of training, solely a method itself in pursuit of a bigger purpose.
The best standards to judge the standard of a query, then, may be this: a great query helps college students be taught and learn to be taught in a sustainable, inquiry-based, student-led means. In its absolute best carnations, a foul query facilities itself as a form of educational bar for the scholar to leap over to show themselves.
At its worst, a foul query halts the method of studying totally via confusion, imprecision, and discouragement, deceptive each the trainer and pupil as they make their means via the educational course of. (See additionally What Is The Cognitive Load Principle?)
