Beyond Questioning: Inquiry Strategies and Cognitive and Affective Elements of Jewish Education
Source: Journal of Jewish Education, Volume 73, Issue 1 January 2007 , pages 51 - 66
Questioning-asking has not only long been seen as a central component of Jewish educational practice but has also been thought to be part of a broader culture of Judaism. In this article, cognitive-developmental theories are applied to advance the discussion of the use of questioning in Jewish education. Such theories allow Jewish educators to more fully understand the function of questioning and to appreciate affective elements involved in the context of question-asking. Further, these theories connect question-asking with issues of identity development. Recommendations are made for Jewish educational practice, including an example of a cognitive-developmentally based questioning strategy applied to a biblical text.