Questioning as Formative Assessment

One of the central ideas within Dylan Wiliam's work on formative assessment is that assessment is not something that happens after learning—it is part of learning (Wiliam, 2011).

Questions are one of the most effective ways of gathering evidence about where a learner currently is.

Although Wiliam's work is often discussed in relation to pupils, the same principle applies to trainee teachers.

Every mentoring conversation provides an opportunity to gather evidence that informs future support.

For example, a trainee may say:

"I don't think the lesson went very well."

This statement tells us very little.

An effective mentor does not immediately respond with reassurance or advice. Instead, they seek further evidence.

Questions such as:

• "What makes you think that?"
• "What evidence did you notice?"
• "Which part of the lesson are you thinking about?"

allow the mentor to understand the trainee's thinking before deciding what support is required.

In this way, questioning becomes a form of formative assessment.

The mentor is continually gathering evidence that informs future learning.