the art of asking

Following on from a very stimulating and interesting discussion with BAPP Arts students last week and in relation to developing inquiry questions, I wanted to post some thoughts on the making of questions …

So what is a question?

If we were to visualise a question in the most general sense, then we could liken it to a torch. It is a tool we make and use to reveal new insights into the half-dark gaps in our knowledge. It is a tool in that we fashion and craft questions so they are the best tool to reveal the deepest insights and understanding. And in fashioning our questions, we seek to capture qualities in the question that illuminate and direct the searching within those half-dark gaps.

So what are the qualities or attributes of ‘questions’ that make for ‘better’ questions?

Firstly to recognise our own starting point, motivation or need. Why precisely do we want to know something? What would that knowledge enable us to do? What value do we attribute to that knowledge (or better still, who would value it and for what reasons?). Within this attribute lives the notion of bias. Bias is at one level the recognition that our questions are coming from somewhere, a need, a want, an interest. Bias to a question is like the beehive to the bee. It is where the bee comes from; its perspective is a hive-perspective. The hive gives the bee meaning in is constant search for nectar. To be biased is to be normal. To understand that the questions we ask are by their very nature, biased, provides us with a basis to understand where the questioner is coming from.

Agency is another attribute and is, probably, a category of bias, but worth mentioning separately. I think of agency as the ‘who’ or ‘what’ the question is asked on behalf of. So when we ask ‘is ISTD or National Curriculum a better framework for teaching dance’ we ask a question sanitised of any agency. We think, or imply, that there is some natural ‘truth’ out there, which this question hinges on. Untrue. This question is simply nonsense. However, were we to ask ‘what qualities to do KS3 dance teachers attribute to ISTD and National Curriculum’ we add an essential ingredient. That is, the agency in terms of teachers’ views’. 

Pragmatism is another worthwhile attribute of all questions. Pragmatism focuses our attention on what the question is being used for. What is produced or intended by the question? What is the question driving at? A question lacking purpose lacks both meaning and the means of producing an answer.

The next attribute that comes to mind is scope. This is about the appetite of the asker. When forming a question, what is the dimension(s) of the question? and number of issues? Connections? Variations? similarities and contrasts does the question imply? The question can simply be too big to answer given the time, resources and ability of the questioner. Recognising that within the limits of a given resource (time, ability of the questioner etc.) that a broader question will most likely lead to more superficial results. Depth of understanding, of quality of answer, of knowledge, will come with more focused questions.

So lastly I come to the attribute of the question making process itself. I see this as about crafting, honing and refining of questions, and through this process, the value and meanings themselves develop and become more concreted in our minds. As in all human endeavours, sustained engagement with any process helps to clarify where we are coming from, what we value and what we are trying to do. Asking questions is no different.