Questioning as Thinking: A Metacognitive Framework

The purpose of this article is to present Questioning as Thinking (QAT), a metacognitive framework that helps teachers and students focus on performance. QAT combines components of three widely-used strategies: Think-Alouds, Question Answer Relationships (QAR), and Self-Questioning. Together, these three strategies give students and teachers the language and processes for explicitly monitoring and regulating cognition. In addition, students and teachers engage in active learning when they implement these strategies, which may lead to improved student performance and achievement. The article describes QAT and its benefits, using vignettes from two middle grades teachers, Jennifer and Barbara (pseudonyms are used for all names), who implemented the framework in their classrooms. (Contains 6 figures.)