Socratic Pedagogy Research Articles

Critique of the Teachers’ Performance Appraisal and Development Tool of Evaluation in Kenya with Reference to the Socratic Pedagogy

Teachers’ appraisal is key to enhancing their professionalism, which translates to effective curriculum implementation. This paper sought to evaluate the Teachers Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) process in Kenya with a view to identifying its challenges and suggesting ways of enhancing it. The study took a philosophical approach, subjecting the teachers’ appraisal process to criticism in light of the Socratic Pedagogical theory. The study established eleven errors that riddle the teachers’ appraisal process. These are the errors of strictness, leniency, central tendency, halo effect, recency of events, failure by participants to identify professional development gaps, failure by participants to attend the appraisal meetings, subjectivity nature of the TPAD appraisal process, alienation of some participants from the appraisal process and passive participation of some participants.The study utilized the six tenets of Socratic Pedagogy (participatory, dialectical, conversational, inquisitive, rational and practical tenets), interpreted to constitute the soul of the TPAD appraisal process, to fix the aforementioned errors. Therefore, the study recommended that the TPAD online system be reconfigured so that the appraisal process could be in tandem with the soul of the appraisal process.

The Space and Role of Discussion in University Studies in the Context of Socrates’ Philosophy of Education

This article analyses the role of discussion in university studies in the context of Socrates’ philosophy of education. The article begins with a discussion of the relevance and continuity of Socrates’ ideas on philosophical education in the contemporary educational space and highlights the importance of Socratic discussion in university studies. It is argued that discussion contributes to the development of one of the most essential skills of the 21st century, i.e. critical thinking, which encompasses the totality of analytical, social and personal skills. The paper also points out that Socratic pedagogy of discussions and humanistic education contribute to organising student-centred studies and enable the consolidation of lifelong learning. These competencies and skills are becoming a priority educational objective in the current age when knowledge, technology and the world are constantly changing and renewing.The second part of the paper deals with the specificities and polarities of the discussion process. The distinction between authentic and inauthentic discussion is made in the context of Socrates versus the Sophists. Much attention is paid to highlighting the difference between authentic discussion and inauthentic one as pseudo-discussion to provide pathways and guidelines for the implementation of authentic dialogue in the study process.

The Socratic method in developing spoken English discussion discourse markers: A case study

Socratic pedagogy is a systematized method that encourages learners to question themselves and each other - without being judgmental. It aims at boosting empathy and developing an ability to reach informed conclusions. It supports the acquisition of social skills and fosters collaboration while helping them to think critically, deepen their understanding, and find reality in equilibrium. In reaching for insights, students acquire vital skills, knowledge, and practices. Socratic learning depends on how participants can use systematic dialogue. This study monitored the effects of students' use of specific discourse markers (DMs) over a series of speaking tasks undertaken in Socratic seminars. Each task was devised to support the learning objectives of a standardized English language course given to pre-service English teachers in Turkey. Recordings were used to provide feedback to ten participants and then analyzed for appropriate use of spoken DMs. The findings of the study revealed solid evidence of accurate and contextually appropriate DM usage as the number of appropriate DM use increased significantly in the seminars conducted at the end of the intervention period.

The Use of Critical Pedagogy in Social Science Education: An Analysis of Cartoons on Teaching and Learning Outcomes in the Bamenda Municipality

Social science teachers use a wide variety of innovative pedagogy to support students’ cognitive, affective and psychomotor development. This explains the shift from Socratic pedagogy to the use of cartoon- critical pedagogy in social science education. Cartoons are used for explanation of difficult content in textbooks hence, motivating students to learn. Unfortunately, this innovative pedagogy is ineffectively utilized by some social science teachers in their classroom. Therefore, this paper analyses the use of cartoons in social science lessons as a critical pedagogy to enhance teaching and students’ learning outcomes. Constructivist learning theory and dual coding theory are used in the study which focused on 03 public grammar secondary schools in the Bamenda Municipality. A sample of 07 pedagogic inspectors, 375 students and 36 social science teachers were selected using convenient and simple random sampling techniques. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results reveal that, teachers’ use of cartoons in social science classes as a teaching device positively promoted cooperative learning, problem based learning, transformative learning and critical thinking amongst students. Furthermore, teachers’ use of cartoons in social science classes as a learning device positively improved students’ ability to understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and synthesize economics, geography and history concepts. The study concludes that, cartoon-critical pedagogy motivated teachers to become transformative intellectuals and students to become critically and socially conscious. Keywords: critical pedagogy, social science education, cartoons, teaching and learning outcomes, Bamenda Municipality DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-14-03 Publication date: July 31 st 2022

Bezgraniczność głupoty i granice mądrości. Na rozdrożach sokratejskiej pedagogii niewiedzy

The relationship between stupidity and wisdom is marked by a multitude of dramatic and not entirely transparent tensions. While stupidity grows abundantly like self-seeding weeds, finding fertile ground in every area of human activity, there is a constant lack of wisdom. Since antiquity, the conviction seems to prevail—also in the tradition of the Socratic pedagogy—that there is ‘too much’ of both overt and hidden stupidity and that its ‘excess’ keeps growing, continuing at the expense of the desired wisdom and values associated with it. In Western culture, the complexity of the relationships between wisdom and stupidity is scrutinized already in Plato’s classical works The Apology of Socrates and The Symposium: namely, in the speech of Socrates, and in the story of Eros begotten as the child of Poverty and Resource, respectively. Both texts manifest the key ideas of the Socratic pedagogy of ignorance and the condition of Eros symbolizes that of a philosopher, a lover of wisdom who is “betwixt wisdom and ignorance,” and incessantly striving to overcome this state. The story about Eros has largely determined the ways in which the complexity of and tensions between stupidity and wisdom have been perceived in Western culture as such and, in particular, in its philosophy and pedagogy. The lack of a critical discernment of stupidity is coupled with a persistent failure to recognize or respect boundaries. While stupidity appears in the outlined perspective as dangerously infinite, still unimaginable for its cognitive penetration and untamed despite the pedagogical activities directed against it, somehow spilling its limitlessness into relatively ordered spheres, it reflects its limits due to the pursuit of wisdom.

TEACH LIKE SOCRATES: GUIDING SOCRATIC DIALOGUES AND DISCUSSIONS IN THE CLASSROOM - BOOK REVIEW

<p>16 centuries ago, Socrates implemented a pedagogy of critical thinking where he helped others move from premise to premise to a discovery. In the current context, the 21st century’s stakeholders are bombarded with a great amount of information and should still engage in critical thinking to discern what is important, reliable, and valid or not, to apply, analyze, and evaluate information, as well as to create and collaborate for new knowledge. In this sense, Socratic pedagogy can be an effective tool for such competencies and thereby, it is important for teachers to develop knowledge and skills to practice Socratic methodologies in mainstream classrooms. As published materials may offer teachers support with their professionalism, Teach Like Socrates: Guiding Socratic Dialogues and Discussions in the Classroom was reviewed for its efficiency and practicality for classroom instruction. </p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0897/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

School-family Interaction in Forming Adolescents’ National Identity: the Ukrainian Pedagogical Experience

The paper highlights the issue of school-family interaction in forming adolescents’ national identity in the settings of the Ukrainian school on the basis of synthesizing the findings of humanistic psychology and pedagogy, Socratic pedagogy, ethics of care and culturally relevant pedagogy. The theoretical foundations of the concept “national identity” are considered. National identity is viewed as one of the components of individual social identity which refers to the life activity of individuals in a particular culture of a state and reflects the deep spiritual ties within society. Regarding national identity as a social construction in the system of individual identity, it is stated that its understanding and significance can change under the influence of various circumstances, and change quite quickly due to psychological as well as sociocultural contexts. According to the authors of the paper, the essence of the national identity of an adolescent is manifested in the subjective experience of belonging to the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian nation, conscious acceptance of moral values, and characterized by the identification and formation of the corresponding national self-concept on the basis of national dignity, responsibility for the destiny of the native land, love for Ukraine, and the desire and readiness to protect Ukraine. The Ukrainian pedagogical experience of school-family interaction in forming adolescents' national identity through the methods of psychological and pedagogical diagnostics and counseling, interactive methods and methods of encouraging reflexivity is outlined.

Enhancing Critical Awareness through Socratic Pedagogy

Socratic pedagogy is an approach to teaching through questioning mainstream practices without being judgmental in an effort to understand, empathize and reach more objective conclusions about reality. This study explores the effects of its use on student teachers’ critical awareness skills during their participation in a Spoken English course given at a Foreign Language Education Department in Turkey. This qualitative study was conducted with freshman students and the intervention lasted one academic year. Individual and focus group interviews, and observation notes based on student performance in class were used as data collection tools. The results clearly indicate the development of students’ critical awareness of political, economic and culture-related issues regarding language teaching settings, and they generated deeper insight to multiple aspects of teaching English. Students displayed an understanding of the consequences of political decisions as well as the economic dimensions of educational commitments, and expressed a positive attitude towards cultural diversity after a yearlong Socratic pedagogy intervention.

СОКРАТИЧЕСКИЙ МЕТОД И ЕГО ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ В ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ СОКРАТИЧЕСКИХ СЕМИНАРОВ

The article discusses the possibilities, technology and importance of the Socratic method implementation in Socratic seminars organization. As a philosophical and theoretical foundation, the authors analyse the general features of the Socratic method, which is characterized by a variety associated with the complication of its historical forms. The comparison of the Socratic method with the scientific method of cognition is also illustrated. The main points of Socratic pedagogy, founded on controlled dialogues and active forms of education, constitute the basis of subsequent discussions about Socratic seminars. The technology of Socratic seminars organization in higher education, their levels of complexity and importance in the formation of academic and social skills are revealed.

The Socratic method, defeasibility, and doxastic responsibility

There is an extensive body of philosophical, educational, and popular literature explaining Socratic pedagogy’s epistemological and educational ambitions. However, there is virtually no literature clarifying the relationship between Socratic method and doxastic responsibility. This article fills that gap in the literature by arguing that the Socratic method models many of the features of an ideally doxastically responsible agent. It ties a robust notion of doxastic responsibility to the Socratic method by showing how using defeaters to undermine participants’ knowledge claims can facilitate responsible belief. It then argues that more robust notions of doxastic responsibility can be augmented by constructs found in the American Philosophical Association’s Delphi Report. Finally, it shows how considering challenges (that is, entertaining defeaters) and modifying beliefs accordingly are objectives of the Socratic method and crucial elements of what it means to be a responsible believer.

Case method strategies for teaching sexual ethics to relativists and skeptics

AbstractMany undergraduates are culturally shaped to avoid making ethical judgments. They spontaneously adopt relativist and skeptical strategies such as “It all depends,” or “Whose morality?” or “Who's to say?” as ways of fending off the challenge of making moral decisions. The current tsunami that is washing away traditional sexual norms is both a result and a cause of this cultural shift. Case studies can mitigate this decline and help students to grow in both confidence and ability to make good ethical judgments. The case method, used with a Socratic pedagogy, engages imagination and counters the deficits in empathy found in many contemporary students. It moves students toward understanding morality itself. Against skepticism, it assists students in exercising practical reason, culminating in decision. Five cases invite students to overcome extreme relativism, to look for and evaluate relevant differences, and to enter into ethical discussion with other students on the sexual issues they face in their college years.

For Example? A Philosophical Case Study of Some Problems When Abstract Educational Theory Ignores Concrete Practice

In Philosophy of Education we frequently argue for or against different educational theories. Yet, as I illustrate in this analysis of two articles, in order to maintain the abstract theoretical distinctions, we are liable to ignore the concrete details of practice, caricature the theories we reject and make false distinctions. The two articles that I analyse, one from Golding and one from Boghossian, grapple with the pedagogical theories of transmission teaching, constructivism, pragmatism and Socratic pedagogy, in the context of dialogical philosophy teaching. As a result of my analysis, I first present three examples where the authors have rejected abstract theories based on arguments that I show to be strawmen: These theories would not or could not be adopted in practice. Then, I present two examples where the authors attempt to make distinctions between educational theories which seem sound in the abstract, but which turn out to be false distinctions if we consider the details of concrete practice. My conclusion is that, in these two articles, abstract educational theory is prone to problems when it ignores concrete practice. Although I am presenting a case study, and do not argue that my conclusion is generalisable, I do suggest some reasons why this conclusion might apply more widely to Philosophy of Education. My recommendation is that we be more discerning in our treatment of educational theories and more mindful of the educational practices that they entail. We should acknowledge the practical similarities between different abstract theories rather than forcing caricatured distinctions.

Feminist Pedagogy and the Socratic Method: Partners in the Classroom or a Disaster Waiting to Happen?

<p>This article presents a case study analyzing the relationship between the Socratic method and feminist pedagogy in a team-taught undergraduate classroom in the United States. Specifically, we analyze the feedback provided by our students to determine the ways in which the Socratic method conflicted with, but also complemented, feminist pedagogy. Data were collected through two online surveys and an in-class open-ended response. The results suggest that the Socratic method is compatible with feminist pedagogy as it improved critical thinking and consideration of diverse points of view. On the other hand, the results suggest that students felt discomfort when analyzing and discussing their own views, as opposed to the views of others. This discomfort potentially undermines the benefits of a feminist pedagogical approach to classroom discussion. We suggest several ways to improve compatibility of these techniques in undergraduate courses and suggest avenues for future research to better understand the relationship between these pedagogical approaches.</p>

Circles of Learning: Applying Socratic Pedagogy to Learn Modern Leadership

In response to the National Leadership Education Agenda, this application brief furthers priority one, addressing the teaching, learning, and curriculum development of leadership education. The ability of students to demonstrate leadership outcome mastery in areas of communication, self-awareness, interpersonal interactions, and civic responsibility (Seemiller, 2014), is valued across disciplines. Socratic Circles provide a structured discussion learning strategy based on Socratic pedagogy (Copeland, 2005), beneficial to the practice of leadership outcomes. Discussed are descriptions of implementation methods; outcomes related to Seemiller’s (2014) Student Leadership Competencies; and practitioner reflections of the use of Socratic Circles in college level leadership courses.

Wokół początków pedagogiki: w trosce o powrót do "Pedagogiki Sokratejskiej"

We live in a time of a global educational crisis and it is therefore important that we look back for guidance to the origins of pedagogy. These origins are associated with the ancient sage, Socrates, who created the innovative concept of the moral renewal of Athenian society. Seen against earlier conceptions - those of Pythagoras and the Sophists - it reveals a revolutionary design of pedagogy. This plan, which consists of constructs currently in use in Western conceptions of humanity and education, but also constructs that remain novel and innovative, is based on the notions of elenchus and maieutics, concepts that speak to the fundamental importance of dialogue between student and teacher. The concepts of humanity and pedagogy provide sufficient foundations on which to build what I call a "Socratic pedagogy".

La pedagogía socrática en la educación musical en primaria

The Educators, from all levels, tend to primarily focus on the content of the syllabus, and on how to cover it in full. However, we frequently seem to forget that to broaden our students’ minds is sometimes much more important, as this makes them aware of the need and desire to learn. Due to this, this paper will address the possibility of developing a Socratic pedagogy for teaching music in Primary Education. Stemming from the teaching methodologies of Rousseau, Pestalozzi, and Dewey, we will examine the benefits of developing our students’ ability to reflect and explore, in opposition to mechanic memorization and passive repetition of previously acquired contents.

Unannounced Crisis in Education and Bringing Up Citizens of the World. A review of the book: Nussbaum M. (2014) Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities (translated to Russian). Moscow: Publishing House of the Higher School of Economics.

The book by the famous American philosopher Martha Nussbaum is part of a series of publications in support of humanities and arts. A lot of experts share the author’s idea of decay in contemporary democratic education. This is manifested in excessive amount of testing and monitoring, in a drop in university places for philosophy students, in reallocation of funds in favor of natural science and engineering higher education institutions. This paper advocates education designed to bring up citizens of the world and distinguishes between education for profit and democratic education. The existing economic growthbased model of social development should be replaced with a new model based on development of human potential. Bringing up citizens of demo cratic states aims to develop critical thinking and enable the citizens to see other people’s viewpoints and to understand them. The paper also unfolds the key principles of the so called Socratic pedagogy, which Nussbaum believes to become the central practice of humanitarian education in Western culture. The practice makes people think independently and argue without falling back on weighty or generally accepted opinions.

Ethics Education as Philosophical Practice in advance

John Dewey wrote of moral education as growth from impulsive behavior to a “reflective morality,” involving the pursuit of ends-in-view identified through practices of critical reflection and social interaction. The essays in this section explore a variety of such practices as a philosophical approach to K–12 ethics education. The essays draw on, and contribute to three educational movements that aim for particular kinds of reflective consciousness and agency. Socratic Pedagogy engages students in problematizing the status quo, inquiry to identify truth, and self-correction. Critical Pedagogy utilizes school subjects to raise students’ political awareness and as methods of political inquiry and agency. Contemplative Pedagogy introduces practices of mindfulness to help students cultivate curiosity and attention and to bring personal insight to bear on their studies. Teaching ethics as a series of philosophical practices helps students and teachers become more sensitive to ethical meaning and skillful in ethical inquiry and agency.

Socratic Pedagogy: Perplexity, humiliation, shame and a broken egg

This article addresses and rebuts the claim that the purpose of the Socratic method is to humiliate, shame, and perplex participants. It clarifies pedagogical and exegetical confusions surrounding the Socratic method, what the Socratic method is, what its epistemological ambitions are, and how the historical Socrates likely viewed it. First, this article explains the Socratic method; second, it clarifies a misunderstanding regarding Socrates' role in intentionally perplexing his interlocutors; third, it discusses two different types of perplexity and relates these to philosophical inquiry and dialectical pedagogy; finally, it refutes the claim that those who use the Socratic method intentionally attempt to shame and humiliate students.

Preface

Inventive geniuses, such as Pestalozzi, Bronson Alcott, Rabindranath Tagore and Socrates himself, have inspired practices of teaching and learning fit for democracy: it is through them that children can become active, creative and curious citizens, capable of resisting authority and peer pressure; and there is, to this end, a contemporary source of practical guidance for teachers in the work that has become known as philosophy for children. This at least is the view expressed by Martha Nussbaum in her recent Not for Profit: Why Education Needs the Humanities (2010, Princeton University Press), a work in which she connects philosophy for children with the progressive tradition, with critical thinking, with Socratic pedagogy and with what she cares about most in the idea of a liberal education. She praises the pioneering insights of Matthew Lipman and Gareth Matthews into the capacity children have for interesting philosophical thought, and she commends the innovative resources in Lipman’s Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery and its sequels. Not everyone can be an inventive genius, but here we have the methodology and curriculum materials that ordinary teachers need.