Facilitating active reading through a self-questioning strategy: student and tutor experiences and reflections of the strategy use

Abstract

Questioning plays an important role in the teaching and learning process and is a cognitive strategy that is considered essential in fostering higher levels of thinking and reading comprehension. This article discusses a student selfquestioning and answering reading strategy by drawing on data from a study in which students participated in generating their own questions and answers in an academic development module. Data was collected by means of student and tutor feedback on the strategy use. The findings indicate positive student and tutor experiences with student self-reports indicating that while this technique was new to many of them and was perceived as challenging, it forced them to read the text many times in order to engage at a deeper level ultimately leading to an increased understanding of the text. The author raises concerns that despite the benefits of this strategy students are more likely to view it as a ‘once off’ intervention and therefore it is suggested that for greater effectiveness this strategy should be embedded in disciplinary teaching either explicitly or implicitly with sustained coaching and practice. Some practical ways in which disciplinary lecturers can help their students develop self-questioning and answering strategies are suggested.

Keywords: active reading, student generated questions and answers, self-questioning, reading comprehension, reading strategy use, higher education