Questions as a Tool for Professional Learning

Think back to the last time somebody asked you a question that genuinely made you stop and think.

Perhaps it challenged one of your assumptions, encouraged you to see a situation differently or helped you identify a solution you had not previously considered.

Chances are, the question itself was more powerful than any advice that could have been offered.

This is one of the reasons questioning plays such an important role in mentoring.

Whilst mentors possess valuable knowledge and experience, the purpose of mentoring is not simply to provide answers. Instead, effective mentoring helps trainees develop the professional thinking that enables them to solve future problems independently.

Questioning therefore becomes a mechanism for learning rather than simply a method of gathering information.