Formulating Research QuestionsActivities & Teaching Strategies
Students learn best when they move from abstract ideas to concrete practice, especially with research skills. Formulating research questions benefits from collaborative discussion and iterative trial-and-error, which active learning structures provide naturally.
Learning Objectives
- 1Design a research question that is specific, arguable, and feasible within given constraints.
- 2Differentiate between descriptive and analytical research questions, explaining the purpose of each.
- 3Evaluate the scope and potential for argumentation in a given research question.
- 4Analyze how a well-formulated research question guides the selection of evidence and the structure of an academic argument.
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Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement
Students individually brainstorm three questions on a unit theme. In pairs, they swap and rate each question for specificity, arguability, and feasibility using a checklist. Pairs share one revised question with the class for whole-group discussion.
Prepare & details
Design a research question that is both specific and open to complex argumentation.
Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement, circulate with two pre-selected sample questions—one descriptive, one analytical—and ask pairs to explain which works better and why before sharing out.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Gallery Walk: Question Critique
Post student-generated questions around the room with sticky notes. Small groups rotate, adding feedback on strengths and suggestions using the key criteria. Debrief as a class to vote on the strongest examples and common improvements.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between a descriptive question and an analytical research question.
Facilitation Tip: During Gallery Walk: Question Critique, provide a checklist on each poster with the criteria: arguable, specific, feasible, and analytical in focus.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Question Ladder: Building Complexity
Provide broad topics; students in small groups climb a 'ladder' by rewriting questions from descriptive to analytical, justifying each step. Groups present their ladder to the class, explaining feasibility checks.
Prepare & details
Evaluate the feasibility of a research question based on available resources and scope.
Facilitation Tip: During Question Ladder: Building Complexity, model the first step by narrowing a broad topic together, then step back to let groups take over.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check
Individuals draft a question, then search library databases or online sources for five minutes to assess available evidence. They revise based on findings and share in pairs for final peer approval.
Prepare & details
Design a research question that is both specific and open to complex argumentation.
Facilitation Tip: During Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check, give students a one-page mock search results sheet to simulate real constraints before they finalize their questions.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Teaching This Topic
Teachers should model the thinking process aloud when transforming broad topics into research questions. Avoid the trap of assigning questions for students—guide them through the narrowing process step-by-step. Research shows that students improve most when they see multiple examples of strong and weak questions side by side and receive immediate, structured feedback on their own attempts.
What to Expect
By the end of these activities, students will confidently turn broad topics into focused, arguable questions that guide research and support analysis. Evidence of success includes peer feedback that highlights arguability, specificity, and feasibility in student-generated questions.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement, watch for students who label any question as acceptable if it can be answered with a quick search.
What to Teach Instead
Use the turn-and-talk phase to ask pairs to identify whether their sample questions require interpretation or just recall, then share counterexamples to shift their focus to argumentation.
Common MisconceptionDuring Gallery Walk: Question Critique, watch for students who assume narrower questions are automatically better.
What to Teach Instead
Direct students to mark questions that are too narrow by indicating where evidence might be scarce, using the poster checklist to guide their critique.
Common MisconceptionDuring Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check, watch for students who fixate on overly specific questions without considering available sources.
What to Teach Instead
Have students adjust their questions in real time during the hunt by testing their search terms on the mock results sheet and noting which yield too few or no relevant sources.
Assessment Ideas
After Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement, present three sample questions and ask students to label each as descriptive or analytical and explain one of each type in writing.
During Gallery Walk: Question Critique, have students rotate with sticky notes, leaving one piece of feedback per poster that addresses specificity, arguability, and feasibility.
After Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check, provide a broad topic and ask students to write one analytical research question and one sentence explaining why it is arguable and feasible for a Year 10 project.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask students to write two versions of their question: one they consider arguable and one they intentionally make descriptive, then explain the difference in a short reflection.
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems like "How does _____ affect _____ in the context of _____?" to help students structure complexity.
- Deeper exploration: Invite students to research the historical development of a concept related to their topic and refine their question to reflect evolving perspectives.
Key Vocabulary
| Research Question | A focused, specific, and arguable question that guides an academic inquiry and the subsequent research process. |
| Descriptive Question | A question that seeks to describe a phenomenon or provide factual information, often starting with 'What' or 'Who'. |
| Analytical Research Question | A question that seeks to explore relationships, causes, effects, or interpretations, often starting with 'How' or 'Why'. |
| Scope | The breadth or range of a research question, indicating the limits of the inquiry in terms of time, place, or subject matter. |
| Feasibility | The practicality of answering a research question given the available time, resources, and access to information. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for English
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