Chapter 6: Addressing the Learning Needs of Students with Disabilities Through Effective Questioning

How do teachers effectively lead all students through higher levels of understanding using questions? Questioning is a critical skill necessary to promote meaningful learning experiences for students in the social studies classroom. Good questioning in social studies education fosters student engagement and retention of information while enhancing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for effective inquiry. It also encourages student self-reflection and metacognition skills that help students take ownership of the learning experience. Although teachers learn about effective questioning techniques to assess student learning and encourage critical thinking during their teacher preparation programs, many still struggle with implementing these effective practices in the classroom (Walsh & Sattes, 2017). Furthermore, when teaching students with disabilities (SWDs), “smart, thoughtful, and imaginative” social studies teachers are left to their own discretion and expertise when considering how to scaffold effective questioning techniques (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013, p. 15). Although we agree there are many talented teachers in the field who successfully use questioning to promote inquiry-based learning for diverse groups of students, it is still important to provide guidance for those teachers looking to better meet the needs of their students, especially those with individualized education programs (IEPs).