Presented by: Ms.Wendy Chu (Canossa Primary School) Ms.Pearl Koah and Ms.Florence Liu (Language Support Officers,

1. Using Lesson Observation to improve Questioning and Feedback Techniques Presented by: Ms.Wendy Chu (Canossa Primary School) Ms.Pearl Koah and Ms.Florence Liu (Language Support Officers, Language Learning Support Section, Education Bureau)

2. Project rationale

3. Project rationale • particular interest of 5 primary schools in improving ss’ 3 Cs (creativity, critical thinking and communications skills) • awareness of the close relationship between the 3 Cs and teachers’ questioning and feedback techniques What helps build these thinking skills?

4. Queries in mind • How can the teachers find room for improvement in their use of questioning and feedback techniques in developing students’ creativity, critical thinking and communication skills?

5. Use of Lesson Observation • A crucial way to reflect upon teachers’ use of questions and feedback • explore the relationship between Ts’ use of questions and feedback and the development of ss’ 3 Cs • assess the effectiveness of strategies & practices • identify areas for improvement • generate knowledge and practical tips

6. Can we improve questioning and feedback techniques simply through studying or reading? • Different ways of executing one single motion (e.g. monitoring, feedback), influenced by teachers’ perceptions(Gabrielatos 2004; Ulichny 1996) • Teachers are less conscious of their practices or just too busy in lessons to recognise or articulate their skills

7. Overview of the project

8. Overview • Phase 1: Form a learning community to enrich knowledge about the area concerned • Literature reading and exchange of experience

9. Tai Po Government Primary School Hung Hom Government Primary School Synergy among teachers A Learning Community Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School SKH Tsing Yi Estate Ho Chak Wan Primary School Canossa Primary School

10. Strengthsof a learning community • Synergy among teachers who are connected by a common educational or developmental goal: • Generate knowledge and widen horizon throughexchanging perspectivesand school experiences • Facilitatenetwork activitiesfor focus studies to address particular education issues or problems • Initiate collaborative, bottom-updevelopment

11. Phase 2: Conduct inter-school lesson observation • Design lessons and materials (esp. purposeful use of questions) anddisseminate plansto observers in advance • Implement lessons and organiselesson observation(with observers writing notes on an observation form) • Post observationdiscussion

12. Phase 3: Organise peer lesson observation at school • Transfer experiencegained in inter-school lesson observation to internal staff development • Co-plan units and materials>Organise peer lesson observation > Conduct post observationdiscussion

13. Sharing the journey • Reflections and impact on teaching profession • Changes in students’ learning

14. Teaching time … … Developing students’ 3Cs Difficulties Students’ attitude Students’ ability Teaching practices

15. Strategies Change in perception Lesson observation and discussion Difficulties Beliefs Reflection

16. What have we learnt or changed?

17. ? ? • Reflection: questioning and feedback techniques can create an atmosphere where students feel secure enough to take risks. Misconception: “Students are not willing to speak in English. It is difficult to develop their communication skills.”

18. Creating a classroom culture open to dialogue • Attentive listening • Be patient • Don’t interrupt students while they are responding to questions unless they are being disruptive • Reinforcement • Make positive statements • Use positive nonverbal communication • Encouragement • Encourage responses from volunteering and non-volunteering students

19. Creating a classroom culture open to dialogue • Redirecting • Invite other students to give additional information or comments • Allow a student to correct another student’s incorrect statement • Rephrasing • Reword the question to make it clearer • Provide some information to help students come up with the answer • Break the question into more manageable parts

20. ? ? • Reflection: questioning and feedback techniques can aid critical thinking processes, and encourage creative and imaginative thought. Misconception: “Students are not able to answer higher level questions. It is difficult to develop students’ critical thinking and creativity.”

21. Developing critical thinking and enhancing creativity • Wait time • After framing the question, pause while everybody has a chance to think of an answer • Let students prepare or discuss higher level questions • Scaffolding • Scaffold learning with rich input (thoughts and language) to prepare or activate students • Use recall questions first to be sure the students have the knowledge. Then proceed to comprehension and analysis questions. Follow those up with evaluation/creative questions.

22. Justify Clarify Analyse Five senses Developing critical thinking and enhancing creativity • Prompt • Use follow up questions to help students justify / clarify/ analyse a statement or comment • Make use of five senses questions to help students express their thoughts and feelings

23. ? ? • Reflection: how students can really learn a language effectively – through contextualised learning and authentic communication Misconception: “Teaching means the direct transfer of knowledge.” • relying on giving direct instructions • asking and responding to questions in lesson is not relevant to language learning

24. Use of direct instructions teacher-centred approach less opportunity for students to practise the use of language for communication little chance for students to think actively Use of questions and feedback in lessons student-centred approach providing students with a real reason, interest and context to communicate retrieving and applying knowledge and language for purposeful interactions an example Two different approaches to conducting lessons

25. Example: • negotiate meaning with students (as opposed to using direct instruction) to elicit ideas about the nature of a story to be read

26. ? ? • Reflection: the strategic use of questions to help develop students’ thinking skills Misconception: “Asking questions is merely to motivate students or rectify answers deviating from the suggested ones.” • no awareness of the use of questions to develop students’ cognitive thinking skills • need for extra time in lessonsto ask questions (but teaching schedule is tight)

27. Strategic, purposeful use of questions • design questions on the basis of the learning inputs • make use of various types of questions to facilitate the scaffolding of knowledge towards the teaching objectives targetted • use open questions to give students opportunities to make inferences and draw logical conclusions

28. ? ? • Reflection: • an important source of information for assessing learning and teaching • shouldn’t be avoided Misconception: • “Students’ incorrect answers mean teachers’ failure to teach properly or effectively.” • keeping use of questions to minimum • avoiding addressing questions to students with limited language ability

29. Informing teaching and learning students’ responses • inform teachers effectively of ss’ learning difficulties and progress • should be handled accordingly: feedback can be in the form of follow-up questions applying probing, refocussing, redirecting and rephrasing • allow teachers the chance to revise or adjust their teaching

30. ? ? • Reflection: need to develop students’ reflective skills - exercise judgment about the content and the processes of learning. Misconception: “The teacher is the sole person responsible for evaluation and assessment. Students don’t need to learn how to evaluate or assess themselves.”

31. Developing reflective skills • Share learning goals • Discuss assessment criteria and how the criteria can be met in practice • Give students diagnostic and corrective feedback on how to achieve the learning goals and improve themselves

32. Developing reflective skills • Promote self or peer assessment • Enable students to recognise progress in their work, skills, knowledge and understanding • Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning by providing opportunities for them to describe the judgments they make in relation to their progress

33. Have our students changed?

34. Students’ change • Students participate actively in an interactive, student-centred learning environment. • Students have developed their communication skills, creativity and critical thinking skills. • Students have learnt how to reflect on their learning.

35. Students’ change Ms Ellen Li Wai Yi Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School

36. Why is lesson observation significant? Lesson observation is a powerful tool…

37. Through observation and discussion A magnifying glass

38. Students’ needs Students’ interest Students’ strengths and weaknesses Students’ ability

39. How to sequence? How to assess? How to arouse interest? How to ask? How to encourage? How to give feedback? How to correct? How to challenge? How to scaffold?

40. Tools Post-lesson discussion • the effectiveness of learning and teaching and whether the objectives are achieved • the interaction between teacher and students • the use of questioning and feedback techniques

41. A mirror Reflections

42. Skills demonstrated in asking questions : • Have I asked questions which are at an appropriate level for the materials being covered? • Did the questions I asked serve the intended teaching objectives? • Have I asked questions which required students to think at different intellectual levels?

43. Skills demonstrated in phrasing questions and handling students’ responses: • Have I allowedadequate, appropriate wait-time after posing questions in class? • Have I reinforced students’ responses positively and effectively? • Have I given students effective feedback which helps/guides them to reflect on their learning?

44. Overall reflection: • What specific problems have I encountered when asking questions or giving feedback during lessons? • What are the strengthsand weaknesses of my techniques for questioning and giving feedback? • How can I improve my questioning and feedback techniques?

45. Teachers’ reflections It helps us realise the strengths and the weaknesses of our teaching, as well as the different ways in which our teaching can be improved. In the past I used to ask closed questions with fixed answers…. But now I ask a variety of questions. Canossa Primary School

46. Binoculars

47. Curriculum Development • Curriculum planning at different levels • Use of effective strategies Student Learning School Development TeacherDevelopment • Shared vision • Culture building • Through lesson observation, discussion and reflection • Curriculum implementer planner developercurriculum leader

48. Teacher’s Journal • We believe that it is worth our effort and time spent on improving skills and techniques in asking questions, handling responses and giving feedback. It pays off when we find that our students can learn effectively in a student-centred, interactive classroom, with plenty of opportunities to develop their creativity, critical thinking and communication skills in a meaningful and engaging learning environment. Ms Vivien Tsang Sin Man SKH Tsing Yi Estate Ho Chak Wan Primary School

49. Teacher’s Journal • My school has decided to focus on questioning and feedback techniques in the coming academic year. I hopeI can share my knowledge and skills with other teachers and help promote a positive learning atmosphere at school. Ms Ellen Li Wai Yi Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School

50. Teacher’s Journal • Through experience sharing and the development of a culture of lesson observation, I hope to raise awareness and develop techniques for using effective questioning and feedback among my colleagues. This will start with a core group first and I hope to disseminate the good practices to other teachers. • I hope this will serve as a ‘kick-off’ fora new culture among our teachers. Ms Wendy Chu Mei Han Canossa Primary School