Research on the Question Formulation Technique

Researchers in the fields of education and medicine have conducted studies into the Question Formulation Technique. Here is a list of citations for those interested in exploring this research — and possibly adding to it. It also includes a select collection of books and articles written by Right Question Institute staff.

Research on the Question Formulation Technique

Causey, C., & Spencer, A. (2024). Student-generated questions: An exploration of an instructional strategy with young children. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 53, 101608.

Causey, C., & Spencer, A. (2025). Use Your Noodle: Student-Generated Questions in the Early Childhood Setting. The Excellence in Education Journal (EEJ), 14(1), 46–61. Retrieved from https://excellenceineducationjournal.org/index.php/eej/article/view/46

Clark, S., Harbaugh, A. G., & Seider, S. (2019). Fostering adolescent curiosity through a question brainstorming intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 75, 98–112.

Cirillo, M., & Pelesko, J. (2022). Chapter 8: Re-igniting Curiosity and Creating a Question-Asking Culture. In UNLOCKING the Mystery: Mathematical Modeling in Secondary Classrooms. Math Solutions. 194-228.

Cummings, K.M. (2020). A Mixed-Method Case Study Of The Effects Of Question Formulation Technique on Classroom Engagement in a Secondary Earth Science Classroom and Teachers’ Perceptions of This Shift. Theses and Dissertations. Theses and Dissertations. 112. https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/112

Fernand, M. T. (2016). Effects of the Question Formulation Technique on secondary students’ argument writing achievement scores (Doctoral dissertation, Western Connecticut State University).

Kasivu, G., Mwania, J., Kimatu, J., Kamau, L., Mulwa, J., Kiilu, R., Kithungu, R., Musyoka, M.J., & Migwambo, R. (2024). Reinforcing the 21st century pedagogical skills through the application of the question formulation technique (QFT) in secondary schools in south eastern region of Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(3), 827-836.

Kitakaze, N., & Ito, T. (2017). The Use of the Question Formulation Technique in the Classroom, Journal of Center Teacher Development Education Research, Daito Bunka University, No.2, pp. 67-74.

Mannion, Jessica M. (2019). The effectiveness of the question formulation technique on open-ended, written response questions in mathematics. Theses and Dissertations. 2673. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/2673

LeBlanc, H. J., Nepal, K., & Mowry, G. S. (2017). “Stimulating curiosity and the ability to formulate technical questions in an electric circuits course using the question formulation technique (QFT),” in IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), pp. 1–6.

Pelesko, J., & Cirillo, M. (2016). The Question Formulation Technique: A Tool for Teaching Mathematical Modeling. Available online, http://modelwithmathematics.com.

Summers, M., Fernandez, J., Handy-Hart, C.J., Kulle, S., & Flanagan, K. (2024). Undergraduate students develop questioning, creativity, and collaboration skills by using the Question Formulation Technique. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2).

Tiboldo, C. E. (2017). The effect of training in question generation on the development of better questions posed by seventh-grade science students, Montana State University, Montana.

Torres-Garibay, C., Kerby, J., & Minigan, A. (2020). Implementation of the question formulation technique as a teaching strategy in renewable energy engineering education. 2020 ASEE virtual annual conference content access.

Reyes, J. E. (2023). The Question Formulation Technique as a Tool for Making Sense of Literary and Informational Texts (Order No. 29992238). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Closed Collection. (2771950589).

Research on the Right Question Strategy in the Medical Field

Alegría, M., Polo, A., Gao, S., Santana, L., Rothstein, D., Jimenez, A., Hunter, M.L., Mendieta, F., Oddo, V., & Normand, S.L. (2008). Evaluation of a patient activation and empowerment intervention in mental health care. Med Care, 46(3), 247-56.

Cortes, D.E., Mulvaney-Day, N., Fortuna, L., Reinfeld, S., & Alegría, M. (2009). Patient—provider communication: understanding the role of patient activation for Latinos in mental health treatment. Health Education & Behavior, 36(1), 138-54.

Deen, D., Lu, W.H., Rothstein, D., Santana, L., & Gold, M.R. (2011). Asking questions: the effect of a brief intervention in community health centers on patient activation. Patient Education and Counseling, 84(2), 257-60.

Lu, W.H., Deen, D., Rothstein, D., Santana, L., & Gold, M.R. (2011). Activating community health center patients in developing question-formulation skills: a qualitative study. Health Education & Behavior, 38(6), 637-45.

Deen, D., Lu, W.H., Weintraub, M.R., Maranda, M.J., Elshafey, S., & Gold, M.R. (2012). The impact of different modalities for activating patients in a community health setting. Patient Education and Counseling, 89(1), 178-83.

Additional sources by RQI Authors

Campbell, N. (2021). From Service Delivery to Capacity-Building: A Scalable Approach to Legal Empowerment. Social Innovations Journal, 10. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/1907

Campbell, N., & Santana, L. (2021). Building Self-Advocacy Skills of Legal Services Clients: Three Principles for Promoting an Innovation in Practice. Social Innovations Journal, 5. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/622

Rothstein, D., Santana, L., & Puriefoy, W. D. (2011). Make Just One Change: Teach students to ask their own questions. Harvard Education Press. 2025 The Right Question Institute

Santana, L., Rothstein, D., & Bain, A. (2016). Partnering with parents to ask the right questions: A powerful strategy for strengthening school-family partnerships. ASCD.