Why Do Questions Matter?

Within schools, teachers ask questions constantly.

Questions help teachers:

• assess prior knowledge;
• check understanding;
• identify misconceptions;
• promote deeper thinking;
• encourage pupils to explain their reasoning.

Exactly the same principle applies within mentoring. Rather than assessing pupils, mentors use questions to understand the trainee's professional thinking.

Questions allow mentors to identify:

• what the trainee understands;
• what misconceptions remain;
• how they are interpreting classroom events;
• what is influencing their decisions;
• what support may be required.

Without questioning, mentors are left making assumptions. With effective questioning, mentoring becomes evidence-informed.