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