Page 7 - Improving Teacher Questioning

Using the subject resources

The resources in this book are based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy and also the
knowledge dimension. The knowledge dimension represents a range from concrete
(factual) to abstract (metacognitive), as shown below:

concrete knowledge Conceptual Procedural abstract knowledge

Factual Metacognitive

Knowledge of Knowledge of Knowledge of subject- Strategic knowledge
terminology classifications and specific skills, techniques Self-knowledge
categories and methods
Knowledge of specific
details and elements Knowledge of principles Knowledge of when to
and generalisations use appropriate
procedures Knowledge about
cognitive tasks including
Knowledge of theories appropriate contextual
and, models and and conditional
structures knowledge.

Note: Representation of the knowledge dimension as a number of discrete steps can be
a bit misleading. For example, all procedural knowledge may not be more abstract than
all conceptual knowledge. However, it is useful for teachers to think about the type of
knowledge the pupils are acquiring over time and to ensure that questioning includes the
metacognitive stage.

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