Which instructional approach involves inquiries used to help focus instruction and assess understanding?

• A. Questioning
• B. Reflective Listening
• C. Scaffolds
• D. Standards-based Education

Answer: (A)

Inquiries used to steer learning and check what students know rely on asking purposeful, strategic questions. This approach centers on posing thoughtful questions, allowing students time to think, and then using their responses to shape what comes next. By guiding the lesson with targeted questions, the teacher keeps focus on the key ideas, uncovers understanding or misconceptions, and adjusts instruction accordingly. Reflective listening is a communication technique used to confirm understanding by restating what a student said, but it isn’t the primary way instruction is guided and assessed. Scaffolds are supports that help students access content, not the live process of using questions to drive learning. Standards-based education emphasizes aligning instruction with standards rather than the interactive, formative use of questioning to focus and gauge understanding. The core idea is that purposeful questioning directs instruction and serves as a primary tool for assessing understanding.