A Guide to Obseruatior,participatior], and Reflectionin the ClassroomFIFTH EDITION

Arthea J.S. ReedUnfi"rtity of I'lorth Carolina at Asheville

Verna E. BergemannUniu"rrity of Xinl, Carolina at Asheville

B o s t o n B u r r R i d g e , I L D u b u q u e , I A l v l a d i s o n ' W I N e w Y o r k S a n F r a n c i s c o S t . L o u i sBangkok Bogo-t5. Caracas ttl^t. Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico city

M i l a r r M o n t r e a l N e w D e l h i s " ' . * g . s . o . , t s i n g a p o r e S y d n e y T a i p e i T o r o n t o

tserving Q ue stionin g Te chnique l

There are many approaches foi'eii.amining.qu_estions asked by reachers' A coding system can help

you examine fie'rype.s of q,ro.iJr-;1.?l\(. *i[?o.* o.r "

,..hnique developed. by N9r1is

sanders (seeTabte 2.1), based on the cognicive raxonomy oFBenjamin Bloom' Bloom's cognrtlve

raxonomy assurnes rhar deverop*..r, of cog.riti.rr. fiil i, r,i.r"r.rricar. ln ocher words' under-

standing of concep* Progresr., rro- r*olt ""lt"t*a'"g'*l1',Bloo* calls knowledge or recall

(Sanders calls dri; ,rrl*o.y), *if"^preh.eyr.on,(i*dti' cails this transladon and interpreta-

tion) to more complex knowledg.. ;d"t labers .il;;gier levels of cognitiot T analysis' syn-

fiesis, and evaruari,on. In berweerr'rlr. to, "rra *or. .""r"pr* revers oF,rrid.rr.anding is the abil-

iry co appry (appiication) ones ;il;;iro probr.*, *i new situarions. Broorns cognirive tax-

onomy is diagrammed in F!eu., t.i. irh. .h"r*no*r, knowledge is cyclical'. olce high levels

of knowredge of a concepr "r.

,iri.".a, an individuar musr begin ,o "id

ro this knowledge by

developing new concePts' 1

32 OBSERVIT\iG IN THE SCHOOLS' . f

Sanders, using Bloomt raxonomy, identifies seven levels oF questions, from least tocomplex.

1. Memoryn The srudent recalls or recognizes information.

2. Tianslation: The srudent changes information into a different symbolic fo:- or language.

3. Interpretation: The studenr discovers relationships among facts, generdizations, definitions,values, and skills.

4. Application: The student solves a real-life problem that requires identification of fie issueand r}re selection and use of appropriate generalizations an{.skifls

5. Analysis: The student solves a problem in the light oF conscious knowledge of rhe paru andforms of riinking.

6. Synthesis: The student solves a problem that requires original, creative thinking.

7. Evaluation: The student makes a judgment of good or bad, right or wrong, according tostandards he designates (Sanders, 1966, 3).

If you compare Sanders'levels of questions to Blooms taxonomy, you will note a Few minordifferences. Sanders cails the lowest level of questioningmemlry rather rhan recall, as it is desig-nated by Bloom. And Sanders divides the second level of rhe domain, comprehensiott" inro wolevels of questio ns: transhtion and interpretation.

To recognize the level of question asked, you must be able to examine fie quesdon and placeit at r}re appropriate level. The besr way ro do this is to list all questions asked by r}re teacher, oralandwritten, and examine them based on examples of each level provided inTable 2.1. You canalso use the verbs provided in the central circle of Bloomt cognitive domain in Figure 2.1 ro iden-tif' the level of a question. The use of a cassefte recorder is very helpful in this process. Caution:simply list or record the questions withour arrempting che examination process undl each ques-don asked can be carefi.rlly compared wifi sample questions. It is important to note *rat if twoobservers listen to the same lesson, it is likely rhat even if the questions are identically recorded,the observers' placement of them within levels will differ to some extent.

Since most educarors, including Bloom and Sanders, agree that too many lower-level ques-tions (memory translation, interpretation) and not enough higher-level questions (application,anall'sis, synthesis, evaluation) are asked, it is helpful to note the frequenry of the rype of ques-tion asked. Keep in mind, however, thar in a well-planned lesson, the level of questions asked willdirectly relate to the teacher's objecrivc for. the students. For exa.mple, if the teacher's objective is,"The students will examine the feud in Romeo and Juliet," it is likely that che questions u'ill be atthe loq,er levels. If, however, the objective is, "The students will compare and contrast the feudin Romeo and Juliet with other literary and nonliterary feuds," the questions will move frommemory ro analysis.

FIGURE 2.1

OBSERVING TEACHERS

Cognitive Behaviors and Verbs"

Based on Bloom's Coguitive Domain

rnd

j t o

tnor' < is -

rwo

rlace

oral

can

ien-

t i on :r r l e q -t . . - ": rwo- ; -A

i r r e q -

a l I P Q -

j *i l lrve is,be at, ieud:rom

sotve, usc, predicr ,

rclarc, epol.v, diegrrrn.

d-raw, dcrronsr;lte

(Rcquir3s I

3< i l . J . \o r . in

to '-f-{c .l :lc*

2robtc:n, :Gcl. lr:nc:

pie, cr ::'lcc;-t. :jla isc

in :' ncJ 5ieJ:':ion

:

This diagram idencifies and explains the six.levels o[cognitive

ple list of ',r.ib, *rat may be used in reladng behavioral evaluadon

tive behavior. . r. : : :' i

behaviors; it also gives a sa'm-

to the proPer level of cogni-

,Adaprcd by Sanchon s. Funlq J.Fr"rr L Hoffin;;'An"c Keidrley, and Brucc E- tong of rhc Florida Satc univcrsiry office oF Field Experienccs

from Bcnjamin Broom er a- tJl, Tannom\ of Eduatun ohjcciua, agnitirc Donzit, Longman S. Green and company, lnc.' 1985'

II. Comprchensivcncss

Abiliry to rccall, co bring inro

mind appropriatc matcrid, and

knowledgc o[ spccGcs

(Rcquires t.) Thc abitirY ro

cekc a wrirten or oral com-

municarion and makc usc

of the idcas it conrains

orher idcas or marerials

or scc Fullcsc meening'

(\uires I, II, [[], M

and V.) Abiliry to makc

fudgmena about quali-

ry ,"elucs, proccduces

mcrhods, etc, b),

Lrsing r.hc apgropri-

arc crircrir

oudinc, disringuish, mcmo-

rizc, recognizc, rccirc, abu-

lece, idenrifr, nemc, ordec

grup, rnrutatc, e)Grn-

ine, disctrss, classifu'

interpcec, dcscribe, il lus-

trare. escimate, cxPlain

arguc, asscss, judgc,

sclccr. cr-ahnrc, solve,

weigh, raluc, apPrr'isc,

Pfove I

COGNITTVEDOIvIAIN

c.onstmcr, comPosc'

organizc, dcsign' crcerc'

plan. pcrform, Predicr

(\uircs I, U, m,and IV.) Thc abiliryto pur rogedrcr clc-

mcnci or parc to [orm

a unificd organizrdoo

or wholc-cornoare, conr3sr.

dcrivc, organizc' crens-

hrc. discover, causc & eftct,

diffcrenrietc, scc rczrcns whY,

scc reledorshiPs

(Rcquircs t, li, and III.) Abiliqf ro break down a

communicarion or maccrial into componcnt

parb and ro.dctcct rJrc rclacionship o[ rhc para

the waY thcY erc organizcd'

.: - tV. Ana.lysis

34 OBSERVING IN THE SCHOOLS

TABLE 2.1 Examples of Levels of,Questions Based on Sanders

and Bloom "' ' ' '.. a-

1. Memory

2. Tiznslation

3. Inteqpretation

4. Application

5. Analysis

6. Svnthesis

7. Evaluation

H o w m u c h i s . . . ?

Vhg is ?' ! 7 h e n w a s . . . ?

O",tln. il,. chapter.

What does the definition say?

What is the English translation of thar passage?

look on page27; what does your text say about . . . ?

Draw a picture of the character in the story as we read.

In your own words, what does that passage mean?'Wirlout

looking ac your tcxt, what is meant by ' . -. ?

Write a sentence using *re vocabulary word . . .

Explain the meaning of fie graPh.'lfhat

is rhe word probiem asking you to do?

Estimate the number of votes needed to win.

'What would happen if . . - ?

'$Chat would you do in a similar situation?

How would you solve that problem?

Using this play as a model, write your own play based on rhe story we read.

Solve *re word problem.

D i a g r a m t h e . . .

Demonstrate . . .

Compare this story to that story.

Consast this batde to that banle.'lChat

was the effect of his decision?

\7'har caused the problem?

Is this story based on facr or opinion?'What

is the major chemc of the novel?'lfhat

conclusion would you derive from the following .

'Write an essay about . . .

'lZrirc an original shon srory.

Design your own experiment.

Using all you have learned about oil painting and ponraiture, paint a portrait

in oils.

Develop soiutions for the problem of . . .'lfrite

a computer program.

'Write a critiquc of rhe novel . . .

Evaluate dre qualiry of . . .

Atgr. che following point . . .

Debate . . .'Writc

a point-counterpoint PaPer on . . .

Based on all you have learned, evaluate your own work.

Vhose solution proved tie most effecdve?