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THE SOCRATIC METHODEmily Laase
History
The Socratic Method is a very ancient teaching style developed by Socrates.
Socrates 470 – 399 B.C. Dedicated to the search for truth Advocate of questioning Often critical of the government Chose death rather than
give up teaching
History
Socrates’ fundamental principle:
“Knowledge is virtue”
What is the Socratic Method?
The Socratic Method is…The search for truthDiscussion
And above all
QuestioningQuestioningQuestioning
How to Teach Through Questioning
Taken from The Theory and Practice of Teaching by Peter Jarvis
Four specific questioning strategies:1. Helping learners to call to mind what
they have learned preconsciously or their tacit knowledge
2. Leading learners through a carefully structured sequence of questions to a pre-determined answer
How to Teach Through Questioning
3. Starting learners on a questioning process which is totally unstructured at the outset
4. Having question and answer tests to aid memory recall
“What is forgotten is not lost forever but can be recalled with sufficient effort. It is in the
mind even if one must exert herself to bring it to consciousness”
-Kenneth Seeskin
Benefits of Using the Socratic Method
During a Socratic Seminar, students learn to:
Listen actively Converse directly with other students,
without the need for mediation by the teacher
Clarify, amplify, and recognize implications in the text
Build upon what others say Question the text and fellow
participants.
Disadvantages of Socratic Method
Uncertainty as to where discussion might lead can make it difficult to fit into a highly structured curriculum
Failure without student participation Some students dislike that there is no
“right” answer Many students fear speaking in front of a
group
Nevertheless…
it can still be used effectively
Flexibility of the Socratic Method
The Socratic Method can be used for…
Many different subjects…
and…
Many different age groups…
Ranging from elementary education to law school!
Benefits of Questioning, A Teacher’s Perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je_WNjjTg_o&feature=related
Benefits of Questioning: A Teacher’s Perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKfm8TCutPg
Conducting a Socratic Seminar
Identify the big question that will be used to kick off the Socratic Seminar.
Prepare an additional 6-10 follow-up questions that are apt to be used during the Seminar.
Tips:
1. Be flexible and allow students to express opinions.2. Allow “mistakes.” They can be valuable discussion points
and learning experiences!3. Don’t be afraid of silence! You CAN get the discussion
going! Sometimes waiting is all it takes to get an answer!4. Intervene if a student dominates the discussion and
encourage participation without embarrassment.
Over two thousand years ago...Socrates saw what was crucial to human learning.
Learning has evolved…
but many of the same principles still apply.The Socratic Method can still work in a modern classroom!
Anyway…students are bound to like it better than another test, right?
Good Luck!
References
Garrett, Elizabeth (1998). The Socratic Method (Green Bag Article). Retrieved from http://www.law.uchicago.edu/socrates/soc_article.html
Jarvis, Peter (2002). The Theory and Practice of Teaching, Second Edition. New York:
Routledge Publishing Company. Johnson, James A., Musial, Diann, Gollnick, Donna M., Dupuis, Victor L. (2008).
Foundations of American Education: Perspectives in a Changing World, Fourteenth Edition. Boston: Pearson Publishing Company.
Neumayr, John W. (2010). The Socratic Method. Retrieved from
http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/curriculum/socratic.htm Seeskin, Kenneth (1987). Dialogue and Discovery: A Study in the Socratic Method.
Albany: State University of New York Press. Speaking of Teaching: Stanford University Newsletter of Teaching (2003). Retrieved from
http://ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/socratic_method.pdf STEM Socratic Seminar (2010). Retrieved from
http://stemresources.com/lesson_builders/socratic-seminar
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