While teaching EVS, a teacher's statement/question, which encourages students to elaborate on an answer either on their own or from the response of their peers, is :

The correct answer is Probing.

Explanation:

In educational pedagogy, especially while teaching subjects like Environmental Studies (EVS), effective questioning strategies are essential to promote critical thinking and active participation among students.

1. Probing Questions:
Probing is a questioning technique where the teacher asks follow-up questions to help students think deeper, elaborate on their responses, clarify their ideas, or build upon the answers provided by their peers. It guides students to extend their understanding rather than giving simple, one-word answers.

2. Why other options are incorrect:

• Conditioning: Refers to a learning process where a response becomes more frequent or predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement or association (behaviorist theory), not a questioning technique.
• Chaining: Involves teaching a complex skill by breaking it down into smaller, sequential steps.
• Trial and Error: A method of learning through repeated, varied attempts until success or a solution is achieved.

Therefore, encouraging students to elaborate on an answer on their own or from peer responses is called Probing.