Asking questions in chemistry class is a powerful way for students to deepen their understanding and curiosity about the subject. But let’s face it—encouraging teenagers to raise their hands and speak up can sometimes feel like pulling teeth. With a few strategies, you can foster an environment where students feel confident asking questions about chemistry content and where their curiosity can thrive. Here’s some of the things that I like to use in my classroom. The idea is that students don’t feel compelled to ask questions, but the opportunity is there, if you know what I mean.
Now the idea here is to get students asking two types of questions. The first is questions that they need to have answered in order to understand the content. You know, have things explained in a different way. Those are the MOST important. They’re often low level questions that have a straight answer. The second type of question are those that go beyond what you teach in class. And if you’re new to chemistry, these might be a little tough for you to answer. Don’t worry about that – it actually helps. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Create a Judgment-Free Zone
Before students will ask questions, they need to feel safe doing so. I find the best way to do this is creating a classroom culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning. “Chem-is-try” after all!
Make sure your students know there is no such thing as a “stupid question.” All questions help us to learn more! It’s even great if you can share some questions that you’ve asked and learned something from. Or even mistakes you’ve learned from.
I like to share the time that my waste beaker in my quantitative analysis class had a reaction that created a deep purple-brown gas that bubbled over the counter like I was a brewing in a witch’s cauldron. Of course, I froze in fear. Thankfully my TA ran over, covered the beaker with a watch glass, carried it over to the fume hood and then scolded me for being so careless. (Especially because I couldn’t tell him what I had just created.) I usually share that story while teaching lab safety as a reminder to always be looking out for each other, but the point is made. You make mistakes and learn from them. Be mindful of what you put in the waste beaker!
Make it a point to validate every question that comes your way. If appropriate, follow up by asking the rest of the class to think about the answer before you respond. This reinforces the value of curiosity and collaborative learning. Your students begin to learn (even if they don’t realize it) to rely on one another. Plus, you get the chance to know what other students are thinking!
Use Turn and Teach or Student Chats
Not every student is ready to put their hand up right away. A great way to ease them in is to get them talking to each other first with turn and teach. The smaller audience really makes it easy. This method lowers the stakes for students who might be nervous about asking their questions in front of everyone. Plus, it allows them to refine their question with a peer before presenting it to you. If you circle the room, you can overhear some of the things they say to each other and “anonymously” address the question. “One of you was asking about…
Model Curiosity
Be the example your students need! During lectures or demonstrations, model the type of questions you want your students to ask. When students see that even their teacher has questions, it normalizes curiosity and encourages them to ask questions of their own. I love to use Google (on the board!) to help answer some of my questions too! I haven’t tried this with an AI tool yet, but I think that could be really cool too! This is especially true if you are unsure of the answer yourself. Nobody likes a know it all. And being able to admit that you also need to ask questions can help to encourage your chemistry students to ask questions in class!
Build Questions into Classroom Activities
Incorporate activities where students are required to ask questions. For example, after completing a lab experiment, ask each group to come up with at least one question based on their results or observations. I like to have this as part of my conclusion paragraph!
Alternatively, at the end of a lesson, challenge students to write down one question they still have or something they’d like to explore further. You can collect these questions and use them to guide your review sessions or future lessons. Perhaps even use them as test questions! This is a great hack at getting a quality chemistry test written!
Reward Good Questions
Acknowledging great questions can go a long way in motivating students to ask more. This doesn’t have to mean handing out candy (though no one would complain). A simple shoutout like, “That’s a fantastic question—it shows you’re really thinking critically about this topic!” can make a big impact. I can tell you, the kids really love the recognition. And it certainly will inspire students to ask questions. My high school history teacher would literally give out PAPER CLIPS. And we LIVED FOR IT.
Use Technology to Empower the Quiet Ones
Let’s not forget about the students who may never feel comfortable speaking up in class, no matter how much you encourage them (as much as it pains me!) Tools like Google Forms can give these students an anonymous way to ask questions. I’ve even had students EMAIL ME QUESTIONS DURING CLASS. I don’t love it, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Instead of accepting emails, you could set up a “parking lot” where students submit questions during or after class. A simple Google Doc or Google Sheet would work. Review these questions regularly and address them with the class. Often, you’ll find that multiple students had the same question but weren’t confident enough to ask it aloud. Plus you can answer these questions across your classes. I sort of hate when I get an amazing question in the middle of the day, and the morning students miss out on the answer. It’s also a great tool for me to add students’ questions asked aloud to make sure those morning kids can get “caught up.”
It also functions as an amazing catalog of common misconceptions and is a great way to edit your lesson plans for next year!
End Lesson with “Ask Me a Question”
If you have five minutes at the end of class, have a Q&A session. Let students ask questions about the day’s topic, the upcoming test, or even bigger chemistry-related curiosities. This signals that their questions are important and helps clarify misunderstandings before they leave the room.
