Guiding Knowledge Construction in the Classroom: Effects of Teaching Children How to Question and How to Explain

Abstract

Following teacher-presented science lessons, pairs of fourth and fifth graders studied the material by asking and answering each others’ self-generated questions. In one condition students’ discussion was guided by questions designed to promote connections among ideas within a lesson. In a second condition discussion was guided by similar lesson-based questions as well as ones intended to access prior knowledge/experience and promote connections between the lesson and that knowledge. All students were trained to generate explanations (one manifestation of complex knowledge construction). Analysis of post-lesson knowledge maps and verbal interaction during study showed that students trained to ask both kinds of questions engaged in more complex knowledge construction than those trained in lesson-based questioning only and controls. These findings, together with performance on comprehension tests for material studied, support the conclusion that, although both kinds of questions induce complex knowledge con...