Throughout ‘Finding out about others: the skill of questioning’ (Hargie, 2011), it is apparent that the main aim of the text is to inform the reader about the importance of questions. Before reading, questioning seemed like a simple and easily used technique. However, it is evident that it is more complex and intricate than it may seem. Main themes throughout the chapter include what questions themselves are; the comparison of different question types; and the effects of questions on certain groups, such as children and patients.
One example of a claim which was made is the idea that patients are less inclined to ask their doctors questions during consultations. West (1983) found that in 773 questions recorded over 21 consultations, only 9% came from the patients. Research has discovered that this is due to fear of seeming ignorant and unknowledgeable (Roter and Hall, 2006). Morrow et al (1993) showed that patients were a lot more inclined to ask their pharmacist questions – indicating that people feel that pharmacists are more approachable.
One argument presented in the chapter is the idea that answering questions and the skill of questioning is present in every form of social interaction. Especially for children, it is vitally important that questions are taken seriously and heard. Without this key listening, children my feel stupid and irrelevant. This could hinder their future learning and relationships.
One part of the chapter which I disagreed with was the area surrounding process and recall questions. Studies have shown that process questions are asked less regularly than recall questions; this has conjugated some mixed feelings. It is argued that process questions are beneficial for creativity and increased scope – researchers believe that children should be faced with these questions more often. However, I disagree; I believe that both question form is as important as the other. Children should be asked both question types; this would ensure all thought processes to take place efficiently.
Throughout this chapter there were some words which I did not understand. I noted them down and looked at their definitions in a dictionary. I have now defined these key educational terms for future reference.
Reading this chapter has truly opened my eyes; I was unaware of the vast amount of different question types. I will now be more aware of the kinds of questions I am asking, particularly when on placement.
