From Answers to Thinking: The Power of Questions in the Classroom

About the Session This session explores how questioning can be used to shift classrooms from answer-driven to thinking-driven environments. It focuses on how the quality and intent of questions influence the depth of student thinking, and how educators can use questioning to reveal, develop, and extend that thinking. The session examines the difference between routine and purposeful questions, and how everyday classroom interactions can be redesigned to promote deeper thinking. It also addresses how teachers can respond to student answers in ways that sustain and extend thinking, rather than prematurely closing it. Through practical classroom examples, participants examine how to structure questions, sequence them effectively, and create a classroom culture where thinking is valued alongside correctness. Key Takeaways • Understand the difference between answer-focused and thinking-focused classrooms • Recognise how the quality of questions influences the depth of student thinking • Identify different types of questions that reveal, develop, and extend thinking • Examine how routine classroom questions shape the depth of student thinking • Understand the role of teacher responses in shaping and sustaining student thinking Learning Outcomes • Understand the limitations of answer-focused teaching approaches • Design and sequence questions to deepen student thinking • Identify different types of questions that reveal, develop, and extend thinking • Transform routine questions into opportunities for meaningful learning • Use student responses to extend thinking, not just evaluate correctness About the Facilitator Vrinda Bhandari is the Head of Academics for the International Curriculum at Sparkl Edventure, with over a decade of experience in teaching Mathematics across IB and IGCSE programmes. She has worked with leading international schools in the Delhi NCR region, including Pathways World School, DPS International, and The British School. She previously served as the Head of Mathematics at Sparkl and as a Mathematics Coordinator at Pathways World School, and now leads academic quality, curriculum alignment, and teacher development initiatives. She is also an IBDP Mathematics examiner and a NEASC visitor, bringing a strong perspective on assessment standards and international benchmarks. Vrinda has contributed to assessment content as an author with Toddle and has co-hosted webinars with international educators. She secured Rank 1 in the CENTA TPO 2024 (Senior Secondary Mathematics). Her work is driven by a focus on building thinking-led classrooms through purposeful questioning and effective pedagogy.