USING QUESTIONING TO DEVELOP PLAYERS’ CRITICAL THINKING, EMPOWERMENT,

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

David Robertson & Dr. Stephen HarveyWest Virginia University, USA

Presentation at the SHAPE National Coaches Conference, Morgantown, USA, 9-12th June, 2015

Workshop purpose• Know and understand the purpose of

questioning. • Know, understand, and be able to explain to a

peer at the workshop the benefits of related to the coach’s use of questioning as it pertains to athlete learning and development.

• Know, understand and be able to apply at least one of the questioning methods overviewed in the workshop in a specific coaching scenario.

Questioning

Discourse

• Written or spoken communication or debate• Content, transmission and pacing of classroom

patterns of behavior by teacher and students (Clarke, 1992, quoted from Prain & Hickey, 1995, p. 76)

• Discourse overly focused on “performance pedagogies” (Tinning, 1991, quoted from Prain & Hickey, 1995, p. 76)

Shielding the ball in soccer

Observation Tasks

• Stopwatch – coach vs. player talk

• Types of questions

• Directed to – ind, small groups, team

• Response latency

Session 1

• Simple shielding practice

• Pay attention to the discourse

• Some of you will be asked to monitor this discourse

Data collection

• Stopwatch – coach vs. player talk

• Types of questions

• Directed to – ind, small groups, team

• Response latency

Questioning

• IRE/F exchange• Initiation• Response• Evaluation OR• Feedback

• How can this be avoided?

• Q: Are you getting low?• A: Yes / No.• Q: Is the ball on the off

defender foot?• A: Yes / No.• Q: Did you make a fist• A: Yes/No.• Did that help you?• Yes/No.• How?• Because it made me more rigid.• Good!

Session 2

• Development of first shielding practice

• Pay attention to the discourse

• Some of you will again be asked to monitor this discourse

Questioning

A format for questioning(Cope & Harvey, 2014; adapted from Butler, 1997)

Blooms taxonomy level

Time Space Risk/Safety

Knowledge What does having time on the ball mean?

When should you be calling for the ball?

What type of pass is often most accurate?

Application How would you make more time for yourself when in possession of the ball?

What examples can you give that enable you to create space?

How would you apply what you have learned about when to play a short pass in order to recognise when it is appropriate to play a long pass?

Synthesis How would you improve your communication in order to increase possession of the ball?

Can you propose an alternative way to creating space to those ways that you have already given?

How would your decision as to whether to pass or dribble change if you were in a 3v2 overload situation?

Questioning

Sample Questions

• What are the similarities/differences between, for example a high and low body position?

• What specific situations could you employ this skill?

• What is another aspect of shielding you are using to keep the ball from your opponent?

• How are you deciding to employ specific aspects at specific times?

Structuring Questions

How..?

When…?

What…?

Tell me…?

What might you do if…?

For what reason…?

If you were…?

Could you expand on…?

Frame the Question

Where…?

Who..?

Given that…?

How would you/ might you…?

Remind me…?

6 P’s Process(Harvey & Light, in press; adpated from Piggott, 2015)

• Purpose– What specific aspects of your technique are enabling you to

maintain possession of the ball?• Play• Pause• Prepare

– Tell me about a specific situation you would use this skill?• Probe

– Can you explain more about that?– Can anyone else tell me their perspective/have any opinions?

• Plan

Session 3

• 2 vs. 2 Game involving shielding

• Pay attention to the discourse

• Some of you will again be asked to monitor this discourse

Questioning Methods

• GROW Model• Debate of ideas• Reflective Toss

GROW Model(Gallwey, 1974)

• Establish the goal of the activity• Examine the reality: here the learners describe their

current reality• Explore the options/obstacles: in this step the

learners can discuss what else they could do to reach their goal and what changes need to occur for that to occur

• Establish the will/way forward: in this final part of the framework, the discussion is converted into an action decision/action plan

Debate of ideas(Gréhaigne, Richard, & Griffin, 2005)

• Identify the particular strengths of your opposition team?

• What things did your team/you do well to cope with these strengths?

• What things does your team need to do to counteract the strengths of the opposition team?

• How will you do the things you have mentioned in question 3 can you address in order that you can be effective in the next part of the game?

Reflective Toss(van Zee and Minstrell, 1997)

• Q: How can players without the ball help the player with the ball?• A1: Be in a position to receive a pass• Q: Where might that be?• A2: Away from a defender• Q: How specifically?• A3: Well, the player would need to get in an open passing lane• Q: Can you describe the need for the open passing lane?• A3: Well, if I am in an open passing lane, it means that the pass is less risky and

we do not have to play an overhead pass and thus we are more likely to maintain possession of the ball.

• Q: Can you give me an example of when this may occur in a game in a specific area of the field?

Learners get together and provide the teacher/coach with a demonstration of when and how this would occur and then teacher/coach resume small-sided game play

Posing Questions – Coaching

Points

Know why you are asking the question

Plan and prepare clear, concise

questions

Ask one at a time

Use follow-on questions where

appropriateAvoid random and arbitrary questions

Use silence; resist the temptation to rephrase or amplify original

question too soon. Allow people time to respond

Actively listen

Respond to answers with warmth, enthusiasm and as constructively

as possible

Paralanguage

Choose the right focus, pitch and

level

Demonstrate positive body language/ paralanguage

Sequence questions in a logical order

Theory Underpinning Questioning

• Social Constructivist Theory

– Vygotsky (1976) – cognitive mediation, scaffolding

– Complex Learning Theory (Davis and Sumara, 2003)

Transformational leadership

• Idealized Influence –role model• Intellectual Stimulation – change agent• Inspirational motivation – a vision• Individual consideration – attend to ind. needs

Transformational coaching (Cote, 2015)

1.Encourage athletes to ask questions2.Empower athletes to contribute to new and alternative ideas3.Use consistent and patterned modes of interaction4.Use a positive intervention tone5.Demonstrate personal beliefs6.Model pro-social behaviors7.Create a mastery-orientated motivational climate8.Employ an autonomy supportive coaching style9.Communicate a compelling vision10.Hold high expectations11.Provide individualized feedback12.Recognize different needs and abilities

Take home messages• Plan ahead of time (Gordon, 2009)

• Ask divergent or value questions that require learners to critically think about their answer (Daniel & Bergmann-Drewe, 1998; Wright & Forrest, 2007)

– Questions should not limit the possible responses but, instead, expand them (Wright & Forrest 2007)

• Wait time (Blosser, 2000; Cazden, 2001; Chambers & Vickers, 2006)

• Individualise learning by asking questions to individuals or small groups rather than the whole group (McNeill et al., 2008)

• Let learners discuss amongst themselves. This creates dialogue, which is essential for learning (Wiersema & Licklider, 2009)

Questions?