Student-Led Discussions 1

Running Head: Student-Led Discussions

Student-Led Discussions in English Classes: Article Synthesis Paper and Literature Review
livia Dougherty
!niversity o" #e$as Arlington
Student-Led Discussions %
&ntroduction
#he research 'uestion that drives the "ocus o" this article analysis paper is: what roles do
Socratic se(inars and student-led discussions have in developing con"idence and sel"-estee( in
adolescents) Socratic Se(inars and student-led discussions are a hot *utton issue at schools
nowadays as school philosophies *egin to adapt (ore student-centered approaches to learning
such as pro+ect-*ased learning ,P-L. and the "lipped classroo( approach/ However0 in order to
(eet the needs o" educational policy0 teachers are o"ten hesitant to i(ple(ent such strategies in
their own classroo(s/ #he underlying concern is whether one should 1sacri"ice2 ti(e out o" the
ti(eline to address these s3ills/
&n order to "ind relevant and credi*le sources "or this research0 it was necessary to "irst
search the instructional strategies: 1Socratic Se(inar2 and 1Student-led discussion/2 4hile so(e
articles include online discussions0 in the virtual world0 it is relevant to include such articles as
schools are *eco(ing (ore concerned with i(ple(entation o" technology5 students too "ind can
"ind their voice on online co((unities/ #hese searches o" pedagogy garnered results that le"t the
secondary classroo( and reached the undergraduate and even graduate level o" online discussion
co((unities/ However0 these practices are (eaning"ul when it co(es to i(ple(entation at the
high school level/ 6ost college pro"essors o" introductory courses0 li3e writing0 e$press concerns
a*out the 1teaching to the test2 "ad that appears to do(inate in high schools/ -y evaluating how
pro"essors address critical thin3ing learning co((unities0 one can properly e$ecute a si(ilar
version "or high school students/ A"ter searching pedagogy0 it was critical to loo3 "or con"idence
and sel"-estee( in adolescents0 which returned (any articles a*out student e(power(ent0
(ostly gender and race-*ased/
Synthesis
#he article *y -aran and Correreia ,%778. e$a(ines student-led0 rather than "acilitator-
driven0 online discussions at the university level0 with si$teen graduate school teachers
participating in the study/ -e"ore the study0 the role o" instructor as an organi9er as well as a
"acilitator "or learning was dee(ed essential "or reaching high levels o" critical thin3ing0 *ut this
study see3s to e$a(ine the interactions o" peers during a set ti(e period without the strong0
direct instructive guidance solely "ro( a "aculty "acilitator/ Allowing teachers to ta3e on the role
as students is always a challenging one0 as o"tenti(es teachers are very set in their ways/
However0 the study allows "or teachers to e$perience the challenges "irst-hand o" participating as
a learner0 which undou*tedly will shape the way they plan and e$ecute these types o" student-led
lessons o" their own/ #he prior conte$t o" this article appears to ste( "ro( the dile((a educators
are "acing when it co(es to higher-level thin3ing and post-secondary s3ills/ #he article *y
Schuster ,18:;. predates its ti(e *y ta3ing a closer loo3 at the way in which teachers are
preparing high school students "or li"e/ #he 'ualitative study critici9es the traditional teaching
practices *y loo3ing at three co(ponents o" high school education/ &n order to *est e$a(ine the
e""ects o" the pedagogy0 the 3ey participants in the study are students at 4ashington State
College0 who highlight (any o" the co(plaints regarding the high school education syste(/ #he
results o" *oth o" these studies place a stress on critical thin3ing s3ills0 rather than (ere rote
(e(ori9ation0 in secondary education in order to prepare students "or the real world/ -oth
articles lend support to the topic o" student-led discussions *y closely loo3ing at how teachers
can *eco(e *etter "acilitators *y stepping *ac3 and adopting the role o" participant in order to
e$perience and *etter understand the role o" the student/
Student-Led Discussions <
#he article *y Strong ,188=. "urthers these discussions o" higher-level thin3ing *y
spea3ing to the cru$ o" (y research pro*le(0 the atypical classroo(/ -ecause the participants are
socioecono(ically disadvantaged students at an ur*an high school0 the study *eco(es relata*le
"or (any who wor3 in high-ris3 schools0 whether ur*an or rural/ >urther(ore0 students "ro(
(ilitary *ases are included in the study0 which provides an interesting layer to classroo( culture
when a student-led teaching philosophy is adapted/ #he study loo3s at Socratic Se(inars0
classroo( discussions that occur a(ong 17-1: students who converse a*out higher level te$ts0
and the i(pacts it has on students? a*ility to thin3 critically/ &n order "or students to *e (ost
success"ul with these 3inds o" higher level discussions0 students (ust ac'uire the co((unication
s3ills to engage in Socratic Se(inars/ &t is encouraged that students are evaluated on the process
rather than the content as to allow the( to practice with the level o" deciphering (eaning "or
co(ple$ te$ts/ Additionally0 leaders are needed to "acilitate instruction0 and (ore o"ten than not0
it is encouraged that these leaders *e students the(selves/ #he study?s ai(s o" (easuring the
i(pact o" Socratic Se(inar in developing a student?s a*ility to critically thin3 identi"y varia*les
through the use o" the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal as a way to assess critical
thin3ing using points and nu(erical values/ !n"ortunately0 (any li(itations are identi"ied as a
result o" the study such as gender do(ination as well as con"licts in regards to personalities/
4hile so(e students naturally e$cel at these 3inds o" activities0 other groups will *e a struggle/ &t
is i(portant to stress i(prove(ent throughout and resist the hesitation to ta3e control/
A co((on thread *etween these articles is clearly the need "or student-led discussions in
order to pro(ote higher level thin3ing and real-li"e applica*ility0 and yet there is also a clear
"ocus on the dile((as o" e$ecution/ &" teachers are hesitant or uncertain a*out the instructional
strategy0 they will never "ully co((it to the pedagogy/ !n"ortunately0 it does not see( to *e a
(atter o" age when it co(es to the reluctance o" teachers *ut rather engrained 3nowledge o"
1what wor3s02 and what wor3s or has wor3ed "or (any o" us has *een the traditional (ilitary
rows and chal3*oard or PowerPoint-*ased lectures/ #eachers ta3ing on the role o" participant in
these discussions as well as *eing told *y university-level educators a*out the need "or the( are
certainly valid and necessary0 *ut when e$peri(enting with the process itsel"0 there is an
overwhel(ing sense o" li(itations to the instructional strategy/ Perhaps it is the way in which
data is gathered and (easured that "acilitates this uncertainty0 *ut again0 i" teachers are not
certain o" the process0 they will 'uic3ly revert *ac3 to old ha*its/
However0 other parts o" the research process have garnered articles that clearly loo3 at
the dyna(ics a(ong student to student relations when participating in these studies/ !nli3e the
previous study that too3 place in a disadvantaged0 ur*an high school0 the article *y Lloyd ,%77A.
loo3s at a high school in the su*ur*s o" a 6idwestern town/ #he ethnical diversity is not too
great0 as 1;B o" students *elong to (inority groups0 while the rest re(ain to *e wor3ing-class
whites/ However0 the class chosen "or the study consists o" twel"th graders who could *e dee(ed
reluctant readers/ Previous research the "uels the study has shown gaps in achieve(ent "or (ale
and "e(ale students in speci"ic studies in schools0 and while "e(ale students have shown
develop(ent in the areas o" science and (athe(atics0 (ale students continue to struggle with
literacy-*ased activities in language arts classes/ A variety o" "actors co(e in to play when
identi"ying the cause o" this pro*le(0 which include the lac3 o" (ale-oriented te$ts used in
English classes/ #he study ai(s to uncover gender-speci"ic roles in literature circles and other
discussion strategies/ #he purpose is to reveal that *y using discussion-*ased pedagogy0 teachers
will (ore readily provide all students0 (ale or "e(ale0 with the a*ility to connect with the
literature/ 4hile results include the *ene"its o" the student-led discussions0 the data is inevita*ly
Student-Led Discussions =
s3ewed0 si(ilarly as the other studies0 to the negative side0 as si(ilar li(itations o" gender
do(ination are included0 yet this ti(e it is "urthered to gender degradation at ti(es/ All research
appears to have all data pointing in the direction that posits only one particular 1type2 o" student
participating in student-led discussions0 *ut little research is geared toward how to involve all
students and teach the( how and why we (ust wor3 together to discuss and analy9e/
&t is possi*le that what has *een li(ited and slightly negative in the other articles is
*rought to light in the article *y Hulan ,%717./ &n the article0 dyna(ics a(ong students are
discussed/ Previous research has shown that studying literature using discussion (ethods leads to
a higher level o" understanding when it co(es to analysis/ Discussion *reeds colla*oration and
other so"t s3ills that are re'uired o" students to hone in their e$periences in education/ 4hen
students can connect to te$ts and vocali9e this connection to their peers0 the potential "or a (ore
in-depth understanding is inevita*le/ #he study see3s to show the potential "or literature-*ased
discussions to add (ore to reading in schools/ Cot only are students applying and analy9ing the
content o" the te$t to their own li"e0 *ut they are ela*orating and evaluating the literature/ Due to
studies reporting that students are (ore li3ely to participate in class when they are provided with
opportunities0 this study ai(s to loo3 closely at the student-led discussion in co(parison to the
teacher-led discussion/ &n particular0 the purpose is to evaluate how students respond when the
teacher is re(oved "ro( the discussion/ Results indicate that though (ore responses occurred
when the teacher was present0 students continue to discuss the literature with the a*sence o" the
teacher/ 4hen *rea3ing down the discussion in ter(s o" reader response and the level o"
-loo(?s ver*iage0 students are (ore apt to si(ply identi"y or report in"or(ation in the presence
o" the teacher0 *ut in the teacher?s a*sence0 the level o" discussion is spread (ore evenly across
the *oard0 thus proving the colla*orative-nature o" the discussion with students assisting
students/ &n addition0 the teacher?s role in the group also results in o""-tas3 *ehavior depending
on the level o" 'uestioning/ 4hen the teacher poses a closed-ended 'uestion and leaves the
group0 students are inclined to "ind the answer to the tas3 and then start a conversation unrelated
to the literature discussion/ However0 when the teacher introduces an open-ended 'uestion0 the
students are (ore inclined to discuss0 thus indicating that they are capa*le o" "ollowing a teacher-
directive/
&n order to "urther (y research0 & (ust continue to loo3 at articles that discuss the
planning and preparation involved in i(ple(enting student-led discussions as well as the various
strategies used to e$ecute and re"lect on the process a"terward/ & will need to loo3 up topics such
as 1student accounta*ility2 and 1class culture2 in order to get to the cru$ o" (any o" the issues or
li(itations (entioned in (ost o" the articles "ound thus "ar/ >urther(ore0 i" (y "ocus re(ains in
loo3ing at the e""ects o" student-led discussions on sel"-estee(0 & will need to loo3 at ways to
(easure the con"idence levels0 the dependent varia*les0 and Socratic Se(inars0 the independent
varia*les/
Additionally0 there appears to *e several gaps in the e$isting literature and two have *een
*rought to the "ore"ront o" (y (ind/ ne signi"icant gap that & a( noticing in the research is the
lac3 o" clear syste( o" (easuring/ 4hile the 'ualitative data is ade'uate0 on the whole0 there is
not enough data that will reverse the predo(inant trends o" today?s test-driven educational
philosophy/ &" teachers have no reason to not teach directly to the test0 then why adapt a
discussion-*ased teaching practice that appears to potentially li(it one?s grasp on classroo(
(anage(ent and all control0 "or that (atter0 o" the classroo(/ #he second gap that & a( noticing
is the planning0 preparing0 and e$ecuting o" the teacher/ 4hile there are studies that include
teacher participants0 the research "ails to collect signi"icant and pertinent data in regards to the
Student-Led Discussions :
teacher/ 4hile students are always on (y (ind as a teacher0 & cannot help *ut wonder a*out the
endless possi*ilities in designing a study centered around teachers/ #his 3ind o" "ocus could
allow "or (ore students to e$peri(ent this instructional strategy0 while tac3ling the li(itations o"
previous studies0 which all see( to ste( "ro( the teacher "acilitator?s i(ple(entation o" the
practice/
Student-Led Discussions A
Appendi$ A:
-aran0 E/0 D Correia0 A/ ,%778./ Student-Led >acilitation Strategies in nline Discussions/
Distance Education0 <7,<.0 <<8-<A1/
-aran and Correia?s article o""ers a 'ualitative study o" online discussion groups at the university
level/ !sing seasoned teachers in a graduate level class0 -aran and Correia (easure the
instructional strategies and group participation o" student-led discussion *oards with the
pro"essor ta3ing on the role o" participant/ -y ta3ing on the role o" "acilitator0 students show
e""ective and uni'ue strategies to garner discussion a(ong their peers/ -y ta3ing on the role o"
participant0 the instructor e$hi*its a (ore student-centered approach to teaching/ Cot only are
acade(ics i(proved0 *ut progression in social interactions is also a positive outco(e o" such
discussions/
-ond0 #/ ,%771./ @iving #he( >ree Rein: Connections in Student-Led -oo3 @roups/ Reading
Teacher0 :=,A.0 :E=-;=/
-ond?s article o""ers a 'ualitative study o" *oo3 clu*-oriented +ournals and discussions and the
result o" allowing students to "unction given a large a(ount o" student choice/ -ond conducts the
study at a school in the su*ur*s o" Austin with "our "i"th grade students a(ong the participants/
Faria*les included reading levels which were (easured using scores on state standardi9ed
reading e$a(s/ #he "indings are a signi"icant increase in students? a*ility to "orge connections
and assist in each other?s learning/ >i"th graders e$hi*it leadership 'ualities when it co(es to
discussion o" the literature/
Co3e0 P/ ,%77;./ !niting the Disparate: Connecting -est Practices and Educational 6andates/
The English Journal0 8E,:.0 %;-<</
Co3e?s article o""ers a 'ualitative evaluation o" varied discussion-*ased strategies in two high
school English classes/ -y e$a(ining the use o" Socratic Se(inars and stic3y notes "or
annotation s3ills0 Co3e highlights the real-world applica*ility these 'uestioning tactics have on
student success/ Additionally0 Co3e identi"ies the greater purpose in critical reading s3ills that
(oves *eyond standardi9ed testing?s "ocus on ar*itrary literary ter(s/
@reenlaw0 S0 D DeLoach0 S/ ,%77<./ #eaching Critical #hin3ing with Electronic Discussion/ The
Journal of Economic Education0 <=,1.0 <A-:%/
@reenlaw and DeLoach?s study o""ers a 'ualitative loo3 at online discussions as pedagogical
tools at the university level/ #he study consists o" ten discussions with over two hundred postings
"or each discussion/ -ac3ed with the ver*iage o" critical thin3ing which includes reasoning and
drawing in"erences0 @reenlaw and DeLoach?s "indings consist o" de"ining such online
co((unities as organic environ(ents that "oster high-level thin3ing/
Hulan0 C/ ,%717./ 4hat the Students 4ill Say 4hile the #eacher is Away: An &nvestigation into
Student-Led and #eacher-Led Discussion within @uided Reading @roups/ Literacy
Teaching And Learning0 1=,1-%.0 =1-A=/
Student-Led Discussions E
Hulan?s article o""ers a 'ualitative evaluation o" literature groups co(posed o" struggling
readers/ #hree reading groups in a classroo( o" third graders are used in this study/ #he groups
consist o" three target areas: students on grade level0 students one level *elow0 and students two
levels *elow/ #he transcripts reveal the nu(erous advantages "or student-led discussions in the
classroo(/
Gre(er0 H/0 D 6c@uinness0 C/ ,188;./ Cutting the Cord: Student-Led Discussion @roups in
Higher Education/ Education + Training040,%.0 ==-=8/
Gre(er and 6c@uinness?s study o""ers a closer loo3 at student-led or leaderless discussions and
their i(pact "or students? transitions to the higher education and the wor3"orce/ Early
undergraduate students "ro( universities in Corthern &reland are used in this study/ Gre(er and
6c@uinness identi"y the logistical issues o" such teaching strategies that ste( "ro( attendance0
student preparation0 and grading concerns/ #he study highlights the value o" student-led
discussions and the need to continue to e$peri(ent and re"ine these instructional strategies in the
"uture/
Lloyd0 R/ ,%77A./ #al3ing -oo3s: @ender and the Responses o" Adolescents in Literature
Circles/ English Teaching: Practice And Critiue0 !,<.0 <7-:;/
Lloyd?s study o""ers a 'ualitative evaluation o" literature groups *ased on gender and race
dyna(ics/ #wo groups in a classroo( o" seniors in a 6id-4est su*ur*an town are used in this
study/ #he recordings and transcripts reveal that the (ale students show a reluctance to address
topics o" "e(inine discourse0 though are (ore apt to discuss (asculine discourse/ Results
indicate that (ale students are (ore dis(issive when "e(ale students present gender-speci"ied
theories to the literature/ 4hen novel have (ale protagonists0 student discussion groups0
do(inated *y (ales0 are a*le to address pertinent the(es and literary criticis( (ore easily/
6cIuillan0 P/ ,%77:./ Possi*ilities and Pit"alls: A Co(parative Analysis o" Student
E(power(ent/ American Educational Research Journal0 =%,=.0 A<8-AE7/
6cIuillan?s article o""ers a 'ualitative loo3 at student e(power(ent in student-centered
schools/ #he research loo3s at two alternative high schools0 "resh(en and sopho(ores0 in their
early years/ #he schools are di""erent when it co(es to their de(ographics0 as Russell is a low-
inco(e school with the (a+ority o" students o" color0 while >rontier is a su*ur*an school with
high-inco(e white students/ -oth schools struggle with the changing dyna(ics "ro( the
traditional education syste(0 *ut whereas >rontier is a*le to overco(e these challenges0 Russell
is never a*le to e$cel/ #he research proves that trust plays a signi"icant role in student
e(power(ent with the institution o" secondary education/
Schuster0 C/ ,18:;./ Can 4e #each the High-School Student to #hin3) Educational Research
"ulletin0 <E,=.0 81-177J11%/
Schuster?s article ta3es a closer loo3 at the way in which teachers are preparing high school
students through the use o" a 'ualitative study o" teaching practices/ Schuster loo3s at three
Student-Led Discussions ;
co(ponents o" high school education and proposes solutions to these pro*le(s/ Students at
4ashington State College are 3ey participants in the study0 as they are the *asis o" the
co(plaints Schuster identi"ies regarding the high school education syste(/ #he result o" the
study is a stress on critical thin3ing s3ills0 rather than (ere rote (e(ori9ation0 in secondary
education in order to prepare students "or the real world/
Strong0 6/ ,188=./ Socratic Practice as a 6eans o" Cultivating Critical #hin3ing S3ills and
Classroo( Co((unity/ American #econdary Education0 %<,1.0 17-1A/
Strong?s study o""ers a (i$ed (ethods approach in deter(ining the i(pact o" Socratic Se(inar
in developing a student?s a*ility to critically thin3/ Faria*les are identi"ied through the use o" the
4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal as a way to assess critical thin3ing using points and
nu(erical values/ Socioecono(ically disadvantaged students at an ur*an high school are the
participants in the study/ -ased on the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal0 "indings
indicate an average o" a %/E gain on the scale/ >urther(ore0 "ro( grade level to grade level0 the
scores continue to rise0 in particular "ro( ninth to tenth show an ;=B gain/ n the 'ualitative
side o" the research0 (inority "e(ale students e$press nothing *ut positive e$perience "ro( the
Socratic Se(inars/ #he (ore tal3ative students had di""iculty engaging in the discussion0 while
the shy students were a*le to 'uietly o*serve and then engage in the discussion0 thus the shy
students were *etter a*le to "acilitate discussion/
Student-Led Discussions 8
Appendi$ -:
-aran0 E/0 D Correia0 A/ ,%778./ Student-Led >acilitation Strategies in nline Discussions/
Distance Education0 <7,<.0 <<8-<A1/
Research Problem, Purpose, and Participants:
Research has shown that there are nu(erous *ene"its to online discussion co((unities "or *oth
teachers and students/ However0 there are natural o*stacles that are presented when learning and
critical thin3ing is done online0 such as accounta*ility and consistent0 sustained co((unication/
#he study see3s to *etter understand student-led0 rather than "acilitator-driven0 online
discussions/ -e"ore the study0 the role o" instructor as an organi9er as well as a "acilitator "or
learning was dee(ed essential "or reaching high levels o" critical thin3ing0 *ut this study see3s to
e$a(ine the interactions o" peers during a set ti(e period without the strong0 direct instructive
guidance solely "ro( a "aculty "acilitator/ #he study called "or students pursuing (aster?s
degrees to ta3e on the tas3 o" developing such a learning co((unity/
Participants
Si$teen graduate school students0 as well as certi"ied teachers0 participated in this study/ All
students ca(e "ro( an array o" *ac3grounds0 including a high school (ath teacher0 a co((unity
college pro"essor o" Anato(y and Physiology0 and an ele(entary school special education
teacher/ #he instructor o" this course also served as a participant in the online co((unities/
Participants ca(e "ro( all parts o" the country0 thus the environ(ent was solely online/
Data Collection and Procedure:
#he online discussion co((unity 4e*C# was the (a+or source o" data collection0 which housed
docu(ents such as discussion *oards0 or threads0 as well as i(portant course docu(ents and
reading (aterials/ Data was collected via 'uantitative and 'ualitative (easures/ -y loo3ing at the
nu(*er o" posts and participants as well as the general length o" the thread0 the research was
'uantitative in nature/ 4hile the 'ualitative nature o" the study ste((ed "ro( the standard o"
e$cellence "or each o" the discussions/ #he standard o" what was (eaning"ul or not was
designated *y a collection o" goals that included ideas such as: o""ering authentic interactions0
encouraging an e$pression o" course learning o*+ectives0 esta*lishing 3ey ideas and o""ering a
progression on the ideas o" others0 analy9ing and synthesi9ing ideas presented in the discussion0
and esta*lishing support syste(s/
Procedure:
4e*C# provided the environ(ent "or the discussions to ta3e place/ #hrough the use o" these
online discussions in which the topics o" said discussions were developed *y the course
instructor0 all students would participate wee3ly0 whereas the discussion "acilitator would wor3
to pro*e through the use o" 'uestioning or introduce new ideas through the use o" additional
readings/ Each discussion "acilitator approached their given topic di""erently *oth in how they set
up initial response in the online co((unity as well as how they "acilitated discussion throughout
the thread or process/ #he study separated these di""ering approaches via (ini-case studies/
Findings:
Student-Led Discussions 17
Results varied *y the (ini-case studies/ #he "irst0 led *y a high school (ath teacher0 was
initiated using a G4L learning strategy/ #he "irst thread0 which was "or(atted "or students to
record what they 3new a*out the topic o" the wee3?s discussion0 resulted in =8 posts/ >eed*ac3
was plenti"ul as the discussion was pre"aced *y the notion o" no answer *eing incorrect/ #he
average nu(*er o" words "or these threads was a*out 8A/ Conversation was authentic and ideas
were *eing esta*lished and *uilt upon/ ther threads consisted o" what students wanted to 3now
as well as what they learned0 and all reports suggested that this level o" structure o" the online
co((unity o""ered positive results/
#he ne$t case study was led *y a co((unity college pro"essor who initiated instruction through
the use o" a 'uestion/ 4hile (any o" the 'uestions o""ered *y the "acilitator were lin3ed
speci"ically to the te$t*oo3 reading0 not all participants in the discussion lin3ed their answers to
the te$t*oo3 (aterial/ #his discussion yielded %% posts with an average word count at roughly
1;1/ 4hile students ela*orated0 the "indings resulted in a co("orta*le conversation rather than an
acade(ic one/ Despite students *eing highly (otivated and receptive to the discussion0 the lac3
o" connections to the course (aterial led this "acilitator to (iss out on (any o" the 'ualitative
points in standards o" e$cellence/
#he "inal case study was led *y a special education ele(entary school teacher who0 instead o"
posting 'uestions0 chose to la*el threads "or the di""erent ideas discussed in the te$t*oo3
readings/ 4ith each la*eled thread0 she posted a page nu(*er along with a real-li"e applica*ility
'uestion "or peers to respond to/ #he discussion gathered E7 (essages0 which averaged a word
count o" 1:7 words/ #he "acilitator was e$tre(ely active during the discussion0 posting %AB o"
the E7 total (essages/
-y ta3ing on the role o" "acilitator0 students have shown e""ective and uni'ue strategies to garner
discussion a(ong their peers/ -y ta3ing on the role o" participant0 the instructor has shown a
(ore student-centered approach to teaching/ Cot only were acade(ics i(proved0 *ut progression
in social interactions was also a positive outco(e o" such discussions/
My Own Analysis:
4hile the study was intriguing as *eing part o" an online graduate school co((unity0 & have a
variety o" 'uestions re(aining when it co(es to i(ple(entation that were le"t unanswered in the
article/ & would li3e to 3now (ore a*out the concrete results o" the study that (ove *eyond word
count and a previously esta*lished ru*ric0 and (ore toward student opinion and interaction/ How
did students react to leading a discussion) How a*out participating in the discussions) 4hat sort
o" preparation was included or should *e included i" high school students were to participate in a
study such as this) How were the para(eters o" the study set prior to individual students
esta*lishing the(selves as "acilitators) Did the topic o" the discussion lend itsel" to di""erent
reactions) &n other words0 can the data collected solely rest on the "acilitator or should a topic?s
relata*ility or relevancy *e ta3en into account) #he study indicates that discussion was plenti"ul0
yet so(eti(es ran o"" course when it ca(e to te$t*oo3 (aterial0 *ut & would li3e to 3now how
this idea was addressed in the past during pro"essorKteacher-led discussions/ Do the students
si(ply 3now they have participated in the discussion incorrectly when a grade is received0 or are
they given guidance throughout the process to *etter the level o" interaction in the online
co((unity)
Student-Led Discussions 11
& a( interested in studies li3e this *oth as a student participant *ut (ore so as a teacher/ 4hile
the study (entions at the end that it is essential not to assu(e that all graduate students are sel"-
(otivated to participate in the discussion0 & *elieve these 3inds o" varia*les should have *een
addressed in the study/ & would have li3ed to 3now the strategies the "acilitators used to get all
students to participate when this sort o" hesitancy o" participation has already *een esta*lished/ &t
is (y intention to address these ideas in (y own research0 as wor3ing with high school students
will re'uire research that "ocuses on student-led discussions "ro( teacher planning to student
e$ecution *e"ore0 during0 and a"ter/
Hulan0 C/ ,%717./ 4hat the Students 4ill Say 4hile the #eacher is Away: An &nvestigation into
Student-Led and #eacher-Led Discussion within @uided Reading @roups/ Literacy
Teaching And Learning0 1=,1-%.0 =1-A=/
Research Problem, Purpose, and Participants:
Research has shown that studying literature using discussion (ethods leads to a higher level o"
understanding when it co(es to analysis/ Discussion *reeds colla*oration and other so"t s3ills
that are re'uired o" students to hone in their e$periences in education/ 4hen students can
connect to te$ts and vocali9e this connection to their peers0 the potential "or a (ore in-depth
understanding is inevita*le/ #he study see3s to show the potential "or literature-*ased discussions
to add (ore to reading in schools/ Cot only are students applying and analy9ing the content o"
the te$t to their own li"e0 *ut they are ela*orating and evaluating the literature/ Due to studies
reporting that students are (ore li3ely to participate in class when they are provided with
opportunities0 this study ai(s to loo3 closely at the student-led discussion in co(parison to the
teacher-led discussion/ &n particular0 the purpose is to evaluate how students respond when the
teacher is re(oved "ro( the discussion/
Participants
#hree reading groups in a classroo( o" third graders are used in this study/ #he groups consist o"
three target areas: students on grade level0 students one level *elow0 and students two levels
*elow/ #he classroo( consisted o" %= students who lived in a city in the southeastern part o" the
!nited States/ 4ith the total population o" the school *eing at =770 ;=B o" those students
received "ree or reduced lunches/ #he school district has "ailed to (eet ALP standards as
designated *y Co Child Le"t -ehind/ #he teacher o" this third grade classroo( was a young0
white wo(an/
Data Collection and Procedure:
&ncluded in the collection o" data are e$tensive "ield notes ta3en during these student-led
discussions as well as audio recordings o" the discussions/ *servations are ten in total0 each an
hour and a hal" long/ Additionally0 student interviews are conducted via a survey given *y a
classroo( aid0 parapro"essional/ Ce$t0 discussions occur *etween the researcher and third grade
classroo( teacher/ #opics addressed in these interviews include in'uiries regarding data
di""erences0 Rig*y Literacy0 and *est pedagogical practices/
Coding is used during the process to note whether interactions are teacher-directed or student-
driven/ #he "irst procedure o" coding includes teacher-led interactions0 disruptions0 goal setting0
Student-Led Discussions 1%
and interruptions in response to student discussions/ #he nu(*er o" student responses and
response "ro( other students is additionally recorded/ Patterns are then created that outline the
-loo(?s level o" each response including everything "ro( identi"ying to evaluating/ Student
responses are o"ten *ro3en down to show the level o" critical thin3ing i" student is "unctioning on
(ultiple levels in a given response/ Gnowledge o" voca*ulary is also coded as students
e$peri(ent with deciphering spelling and phonetics/
Findings:
Results indicate that though (ore responses occurred when the teacher was present0 students
continue to discuss the literature with the a*sence o" the teacher/ 4hen *rea3ing down the
discussion in ter(s o" reader response and the level o" -loo(?s ver*iage0 students are (ore apt
to si(ply identi"y or report in"or(ation in the presence o" the teacher0 resulting in =%B o" the
discussion consisting o" students reporting/ &n the teacher?s a*sence0 the level o" discussion is
spread (ore evenly across the *oard0 with the leading levels including %8B clari"ying and %=B
evaluating0 thus proving the colla*orative-nature o" the discussion with students assisting
students/
&n distinguishing the student roles in the progra(0 results are e$a(ined in the "ollowing
*rea3down o" reading levels: 4ord 4i9ards consists o" students who are two levels *elow0 -oo3
-lasters consists o" students who are one level *elow0 and Paper*ac3 Posse consists o" students
on reading level/ #he 4ord 4i9ards report a high level o" ela*orating in the a*sence o" the
teacher0 while the -oo3 -lasters report a high level o" clari"ying within their responses/ Students
*elow reading level relied on one strategy0 while co(pletely including other strategies/ #his
trend (ay indicate that students need (ore sca""olding to discuss at varying levels/ #hen0 when
the teacher reenters a group0 all students revert to si(ple recall/
&n addition0 the teacher?s role in the group also results in o""-tas3 *ehavior depending on the
level o" 'uestioning/ 4hen the teacher poses a closed-ended 'uestion and leaves the group0
students are inclined to "ind the answer to the tas3 and then start a conversation unrelated to the
literature discussion/ However0 when the teacher introduces an open-ended 'uestion0 the students
are (ore inclined to discuss0 thus indicating that they are capa*le o" "ollowing a teacher-
directive/ Survey results indicated that students en+oy reading and discussing0 *ut would pre"er
have (ore choice in the reading selections0 and that the teacher showed a desire to continue this
instructional strategy/
My Own Analysis:
& a( very interested in studies li3e this and would li3e to e$peri(ent (ore with gathering results
such as these/ & "ound that the "ield notes revealed "antastic in"or(ation0 *ut he surveys0 student
and teacher0 see(ed inauthentic and did not provide an incredi*le a(ount o" new in"or(ation/ &
a( wondering how & can adapt "eed*ac3 "ro( students and teachers regarding discussion-*ased
instruction/ #eachers are o"ten hesitant to let go o" the control0 and & a( interested in coaching
the( to ta3e on this new initiative in the classroo(/ However0 & thin3 & would li3e to (easure
their progress throughout the process/ >or e$a(ple0 how do they plan previously "or these
authentic student-led discussions to ta3e place) 4hat are their thoughts during the discussion
when re(oved) 4hat are their concerns) How do they choose when to involve the(selves in the
discussion and when to let the students discover and lead their own studies) >urther(ore0 how
Student-Led Discussions 1<
do they choose to grade these discussions) Are they si(ply used as a sca""olding strategy0 or can
they *e evaluative in nature) >or students0 how co("orta*le are they with the teacher in the
circle versus teacher outside the circle) 4hen are these discussions (eaning"ul and when do
they "ind the( to *e irrelevant to their own learning) Do higher per"or(ing 3ids appreciate these
discussions as opposed to lower per"or(ing students) How does a teacher structure the
discussions di""erently *ased on the level o" students)
#he study provided an e$cellent overview o" a persistent pro*le( in education nowadays0 "itting
nontraditional strategies within a standardi9ed test-driven world/ However0 & "ound that results
could have included a greater range o" 'ualitative "eed*ac3/ Cot only "ro( students and teachers0
which were included in the study0 *ut ad(inistrators0 as the conte$t o" the study *eing *ased
around a 'uestion o" whether discussion-*ased instruction could still *e relevant and (eaning"ul
within the Co Child Le"t -ehind initiative called "or all sta3eholders to *e included in the study/
&t is (y intention to include (ore 'ualitative surveys "ro( all (e(*ers o" the education syste(/
Lloyd0 R/ ,%77A./ #al3ing -oo3s: @ender and the Responses o" Adolescents in Literature
Circles/ English Teaching: Practice And Critiue0 !,<.0 <7-:;/
Research Problem, Purpose, and Participants:
Research has shown gaps in achieve(ent "or (ale and "e(ale students in speci"ic studies in
schools0 and while "e(ale students have shown develop(ent in the areas o" science and
(athe(atics0 (ale students continue to struggle with literacy-*ased activities in language arts
classes/ A variety o" "actors co(e in to play when identi"ying the cause o" this pro*le(0 which
include the lac3 o" (ale-oriented te$ts used in English classes/ #he study ai(s to uncover
gender-speci"ic roles in literature circles and other discussion strategies/ #he purpose is to reveal
that *y using discussion-*ased pedagogy0 teachers will (ore readily provide all students0 (ale or
"e(ale0 with the a*ility to connect with the literature/ Faria*les are deter(ined *ased on the
topic o" discussion0 level o" interaction0 and (ode o" delivery/
Participants
As a participant in the survey0 the research0 also the teacher0 conducts the study at a high school
in the su*ur*s o" a 6idwestern town/ Ethnical diversity is not too great0 as 1;B o" students
*elong to (inority groups0 while the rest re(ain to *e wor3ing-class whites/ #he class chosen "or
the study consists o" twel"th graders who could *e dee(ed reluctant readers/ @roups are
designated "irst *y *oo3 pre"erence0 then *y gender in order to e'uali9e the study/
Data Collection and Procedure:
#he (a+ority o" data rests in recordings o" the *oo3 discussions/ #he (eetings0 occurring once a
wee3 "or thirty (inutes0 result in e$tensive transcripts that are analy9ed and *ro3en down using
two (ethods/ #he "irst (ethod loo3s at the interaction a(ong peers/ &n this (ethod0 the varia*les
include the gender0 dialogue0 and level o" interactions/ #he second (ethod loo3s speci"ically at
the content o" the discussion and individual students? interactions toward characters as a result o"
gender/ @ender-speci"ic interactions with the te$t are two"old: "irst0 the identi"ication o" race0
class0 or gender in the te$t itsel" and second0 the students? reactions/ #he research identi"ies
the(atic connections that are pertinent to the research/ Additionally0 "ield notes as well as
student surveys are used to add clarity to the recordings and student pre"erences/
Student-Led Discussions 1=
#he teacher sits *ac3 during the study and si(ply records i((ediate reactions0 occasionally
answering logistical 'uestions posed "ro( the groups/ As a graded assign(ent0 students are
(otivated to (eet the re'uire(ent and earn the desired grade/ #he *oo3s chosen "or the "ocus o"
the study include #i( ?-rien?s The Things They Carried0 a Fietna( 4ar narrative0 and Dai
Si+ie?s "al$ac and the little Chinese seamstress0 a story o" Cultural Revolution that ta3es place in
China/ #he process o" literature circles is re"ined in order to (eet the needs o" the older0 senior
students/ #hus0 an additional role is added that "ocuses on (ultiple perspectives and literary
theory that have *een previously addressed in the curriculu(/
Findings:
Results indicate a (ultiplicity o" "inds in relation to discussion and genderKrace dyna(ics/
>irstly0 the literature circle roles o"ten dictate how the discussion is to un"old/ >or e$a(ple0 so(e
groups rely heavily on the roles0 thus leading to (ore individuali9ed state(ents rather than
colla*orative discussion/ ther groups who chose not to "ocus on the roles as heavily struggle
with where to ta3e the conversation once it ends/ 4hile the roles are use"ul in so(e areas0
ulti(ately they ena*le the organic and natural "low o" discussion0 o"ten leading to (onologue-
es'ue approaches to discussion/
Additionally0 results show the students are respect"ul when it co(es to discussion in general0 *ut
when it co(es to conversations a*out gender or race0 the typical response is vague agree(ent0
thus indicating students are hesitant to discuss such heavy topics in regards to literature/
>urther(ore0 a"ter the initial agree(ent0 the (ale students show a reluctance to address topics o"
"e(inine discourse0 though are (ore apt to discuss (asculine discourse/ &n the group co(posed
o" all *oys and one "e(ale0 the "e(ale student ta3es on a leadership role0 while the (ale students
o"ten get o"" topic0 +o3e around0 or si(ply co(plain a*out the wor3/ &n regards to race0 one o"
these (ale students0 the only native English spea3er in the group0 o"ten gravitates toward insults
and +o3es when it co(es to race in the novel/ #his particular student uses racial superiority in
order to highlight the language *arriers and his power over the group due to language
pro"iciency/ !lti(ately0 students "eel either paci"ied or isolated when it co(es to discussions
a*out race/
Lastly0 results indicate that (ale students are (ore dis(issive when "e(ale students present
gender-speci"ied theories to the literature/ 4hile one "e(ale student is not (et with (uch
agree(ent in the discussion o" whether a "e(ale character in the novel was in a position o"
power or not0 she is a*le to closely read these (o(ents in the group0 which the researcher
+usti"ies *y the interaction in the group/ -ecause this student was una*le to get the recognition in
the discussion a*out this particular topic0 she was a*le to "ully uncover it in her +ournaling the
highlighted her deeper understanding in character analysis/ 4hen it co(es to topics o"
(asculinity0 students (ore easily get to deeper analysis o" the social class syste( in A(erican0
with lin3s o" A(erican herois(0 the pro*le(atic nature o" i((igrants0 and low social status in
the country/ !lti(ately0 when the novel has a (ale protagonist0 student discussion groups0
do(inated *y (ales0 are a*le to address pertinent the(es and literary criticis(/
My Own Analysis:
Student-Led Discussions 1:
#he particular study leaves (e with a greater sense o" "ocus in (y research/ #he gender and race
dyna(ics provided an interesting ta3e on the typical student-led discussion groups/ As a teacher
o" English0 & "ind that these gender dyna(ics0 especially in regards to discussion and writing0 are
pertinent to the pro*le(s that occur in the education syste( today/ >urther(ore0 *oth topics were
addressed: spea3ing and writing/ 4hereas (y original "ocus was on discussions0 & discovered
that this article?s "indings regarding student writing as a way to re"lect or even "acilitate
discussion allowed varia*les to *e clearly de"ined and 'ualitative research to *e (ore relevant/
& a( very interested in the "ocus and control groups "or this study0 and & would li3e to e$peri(ent
(ore with this in (y own research/ & a( considering the roles o" race in a co((unity that lac3s
diversity/ Living in the Rio @rande Falley0 (ost students are Hispanic0 and yet0 they are una*le
to identi"y how this shapes their identity/ #o the(0 it see(s nor(al0 *ut i" they are to (ove out o"
the valley to a place o" (y diversity0 they (ay "ind di""iculty in identi"ying perception and sel"-
perception *ased on race/ & would li3e to *ase research on gender as well0 *ut & would not want
to replicate this study/
6cIuillan0 P/ ,%77:./ Possi*ilities and Pit"alls: A Co(parative Analysis o" Student
E(power(ent/ American Educational Research Journal0 =%,=.0 A<8-AE7/
Research Problem, Purpose, and Participants:
Research has shown that the A(erican education syste( is at odds with the e""ort to e(power
students/ #he purpose o" the study is two"old: to provide reasoning "or schools to adopt a
pedagogical (odel that ai(s to e(power students and to provide case studies "or two schools
that practice this (odel o" student e(power(ent/ Research proves that when students "eel
validated and e(powered0 they are (ore apt to engage in learning institutions/ Critics argue that
schools have the potential0 i" they are to adopt this (odel0 to *eco(e de(ocratic institutions the
provide students with acade(ic 3nowledge and social s3ills0 trans"era*le to society/ -y
e(*odying "eelings o" e(power(ent0 students will *e a*le to *etter pro(ote and co((unicate
their power in the real world/ #he study is an ethnographic 'ualitative e$peri(ent that ai(s to
de"ine the interplay o" varia*les that include students0 teachers and ad(inistrators/
Participants
#he research loo3s at two alternative high schools0 "resh(en and sopho(ores0 in their early
years/ #he schools are di""erent when it co(es to their de(ographics0 as Russell is a low-inco(e
school with the (a+ority o" students o" color0 while >rontier is a su*ur*an school with high-
inco(e white students/ E7B o" students at Russell 'uali"ied "or "ree-reduced lunches0 and the
achieve(ent gap was signi"icant when co(pared to its wealthier counterparts/ #he school
practiced a school within a school (odel and educational philosophy/ 4hile >rontier practiced a
si(ilar (odel0 with the "ounders o" the school designing a curriculu( that was student-centered0
their de(ographics re"lected roughly ;8B white with the re(aining 11B *eing co(posed o"
Latino and A"rican A(erican/ #he school is (uch s(aller co(pared to others in the 4estern
city/
Data Collection and Procedure:
*servations o" school initiatives are the (a+or source o" data "or this research/ Cot only are
students interviewed and classroo(s o*served0 *ut the co((unity is involved through the use o"
Student-Led Discussions 1A
educational policy as deter(ined *y town (eetings and a co((unity "oru(/ Student interactions
with counselors as well as other "aculty (e(*ers are e$a(ined in an e""ort to reveal how student
e(power(ent is "acilitated in the nontraditional setting "or secondary education/
At Russell0 data is collected and evaluated *ased on school philosophy and pedagogical
practices/ Faria*les are de"ined *ased on a grading syste( that li(its grades to As0 -s0 and
inco(plete5 there"ore0 students who score less than an ;7B would have to co(plete wor3 in
order to receive a grade/ Additionally0 Russell ad(inistrators conduct interviews with students in
order to gather input regarding the school syste(/ At >rontier0 data is collected and evaluated
*ased on the various progra(s and philosophies the school has set in place/ Faria*les are de"ined
*ased on the service learning pro+ects instituted in the school and the pro+ect-*ased learning
philosophy/ Across the entire school0 Socratic Se(inars are i(ple(ented in an e""ort to address
issues as they arise/
Findings:
At Russell0 the inco(plete grading syste( results in (any students si(ply not turning in wor3
and ta3ing the inco(pletes/ >urther(ore0 students 'uestion why Cs could not *e added to the
grading syste(0 as it is a satis"actory and passing everywhere else in their co((unity/ -y the
end o" grading periods0 teachers ad(it to unethical in"lating o" grades0 thus leaving (any to
'uestion whether these A and - students were truly earning their grades/ A"ter several students
get 3ic3ed out o" the school0 the grading syste( is eventually changed in order to (eet the needs
o" the students0 which in itsel" has e(powered the( *y allowing their voices to *e heard in the
educational syste(/ !lti(ately0 the author identi"ies that this schooling syste( "ailed on (any
"ronts0 as students resisted and re*elled against the changes0 'uestioning how adults have
structured this syste( o" power/ Cot only are students s3eptical o" this syste(0 *ut adults are not
co(pletely sold on the idea either0 which (ani"ests itsel" in the inner wor3ings o" the school/
At >rontier0 the Socratic Se(inars result in students "inding a "oru( to e$press their views and
opinions in a structured and (eaning"ul way/ Si(ilar to Russell0 a grading syste( is also
instated0 *ut unli3e Russell0 there is no student resistance with the (a+ority o" students0 with the
e$ception o" a "ew outliers0 (eeting the ;7B (ini(u(/ Additionally0 students are involved with
other political decision-(a3ing0 li3e logistical concerns "or the upco(ing +unior and senior year0
thus resulting in "urther invest(ent into the educational institution/ -y allowing students to set
the vision o" the school0 ad(inistration allow "or students to *eco(e sta3eholders in their own
education/
Another practice that >rontier i(ple(ented di""erently than Russell is regarding student
invest(ent/ -y providing students with a "aculty (entor and advisee0 they are creating a security
net so that students stic3 with school and do not "all through the crac3s/ >urther(ore0 it allows
"or students to "or( positive relationships with their educators/ #he research "indings indicate
that students saw this as teachers having a personal invest(ent in individual goals/ However0
si(ilar to Russell0 >rontier e$periences di""iculty "or(ing a curriculu( driven *y students?
interest0 as (any have not yet "or(ulated interests *ased around their education/ Even students
e$press that ad(inistration gave the( too (uch power at the start o" the school year/ -oth
schools struggle with the changing dyna(ics "ro( the traditional education syste(0 *ut whereas
>rontier is a*le to overco(e these challenges0 Russell is never a*le to e$cel/ !lti(ately0 the
Student-Led Discussions 1E
research has proven that trust plays a signi"icant role in student e(power(ent with the institution
o" secondary education/
My Own Analysis:
& a( very interested in the student e(power(ent dyna(ics at *oth the schools identi"ied in these
case studies/ 4hile only a portion o" the article was devoted to Socratic Se(inar and discussion-
type teaching strategies0 the *iggest connection to (y desired research topic related to student
e(power(ent in a student-centered educational syste(/ & appreciated the honesty o" the research
as it identi"ied the struggles and ulti(ate "ailure at the Russell school0 "or it is this type o" school
that & a( particular interested in/ & "ind that (ore o"ten than not0 these types o" "lipped
classroo(s wor3 well with (iddle0 upper0 and even wor3ing class individuals/ However0 when it
co(es to inner-city schools0 these types o" philosophies are o"ten sacri"iced "or (ore
authoritarian instruction/
Another connection to (y research is the role o" and relationship *etween
ad(inistrationKteachers and students/ -y collecting data via conversations *etween
ad(inistration and students allowed "or serious discussion a*out these power dyna(ics/ 4hile
students o""ered honest opinions0 ad(inistration tended to listen with hal" an ear/ >or (y
research0 & would li3e to e$a(ine this interplay "urther/ How co("orta*le is ad(inistration with
this student-centered approach) 4hile they encourage teachers who are i(ple(enting it with
success0 how do they respond to teachers who are struggling) "tenti(es0 teachers with (ore
challenging classroo(s or with students who are underper"or(ing struggle to (eet the needs o"
their students0 and thus0 their classroo( (anage(ent initially su""ers/ #he support syste(s that
ad(inistration provides "or its teachers would *e an intriguing direction to ta3e (y research/
Strong0 6/ ,188=./ Socratic Practice as a 6eans o" Cultivating Critical #hin3ing S3ills and
Classroo( Co((unity/ American #econdary Education0 %<,1.0 17-1A/
Research Problem, Purpose, and Participants:
Research has shown that Socratic Se(inars0 which are class discussions that occur a(ong 17-1:
students who converse a*out higher level te$ts0 are a relatively new (ethod o" teaching that is
(ost co((only used in the secondary classroo(/ However0 in order "or students to *e (ost
success"ul with these 3inds o" higher level discussions0 students (ust ac'uire the co((unication
s3ills to engage in Socratic Se(inars/ &t is encouraged that students are evaluated on the process
rather than the content as to allow the( to practice with the level o" deciphering (eaning "or
co(ple$ te$ts/ Additionally0 leaders are needed to "acilitate instruction0 and (ore o"ten than not0
it is encouraged that these leaders *e students the(selves/ #he study ai(s to deter(ine the
i(pact o" Socratic Se(inar in developing a student?s a*ility to critically thin3/ Faria*les are
identi"ied through the use o" the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal as a way to assess
critical thin3ing using points and nu(erical values/
Participants
Socioecono(ically disadvantaged students at an ur*an high school are the participants in the
study/ &n addition "ro( co(posing o" students "ro( disadvantaged neigh*orhoods0 students "ro(
(ilitary *ases are also included in the school/
Student-Led Discussions 1;
Data Collection and Procedure:
Data is collected through the use o" the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal/ Students are
evaluated *ased on their acade(ic0 social0 and personal s3ills as evident in their engage(ent in
the Socratic Se(inar discussion/ Results span "our (onths in order to co(pensate "or the
newness o" the pedagogical strategy/ &n addition to the nu(erical0 'uantitative "indings0
interviews with student participants allow "or a 'ualitative approach to student perception o"
learning and success/ #he interviewee conducted these conversations with students *y as3ing
the( 'uestions regarding close reading strategies0 acade(ic0 as well as procedural discussion-
*ased 'uestions0 social and personal s3ills/
#he procedures "or Socratic Se(inars are very (uch non-directive/ &n order to esta*lish
classroo( co((unity0 the students are truly the ones in control/ 4hile the teacher (ay outline
o*+ectives that heKshe hopes are (et0 one cannot deter(ine the direction o" the discussion/
#hough it is not an ideal control group0 these 3inds o" discussions0 unstructured other than
*ehaviorally *y the teacher0 allow "or a co((unity to *e *uilt within the walls o" the classroo(0
a(ong the students/
Findings:
-ased on the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal0 "indings indicate an average o" a %/E
gain on the scale/ >urther(ore0 "ro( grade level to grade level0 the scores continue to rise0 in
particular "ro( ninth to tenth show an ;=B gain/ As "ar as gender is concerned0 "e(ales average
show gains o" roughly 1<;B0 while (inorities average 1AAB/ #hese point gains result in a 8/<
gain "or (inority "e(ales0 thus resulting in %81B o" the </% points indicated "ro( "resh(en to
sopho(ore level students/
n the 'ualitative side o" the research0 (inority "e(ale students e$press nothing *ut positive
e$perience "ro( the Socratic Se(inars/ #he +usti"ication "or greater receptiveness "or "e(ales
(ay *e due to the conversational and social ele(ents o" the discussion-*ased learning/
Additionally0 another potential *ias "or this data could *e the ti(e o" the year0 as it was the end
o" the school year/ Social nor(s a(ong (ore tal3ative students as opposed to shy students are
also evaluated in the nature o" the discussion/ #he (ore tal3ative students had di""iculty
engaging in the discussion0 while the shy students were a*le to 'uietly o*serve and then engage
in the discussion0 thus the shy students were *etter a*le to "acilitate discussion/
#he research "indings also indicate the potential li(itations o" such Socratic Se(inars/ #his 3ind
o" instructional strategy is easiest to e$ecute in an English Language Arts classroo(/ #eachers
are also a *arrier when it co(es to e$ecution o" Socratic Se(inars/ 4hile so(e students
naturally e$cel at these 3inds o" activities0 other groups will *e a struggle/ &t is i(portant to stress
i(prove(ent throughout and resist the hesitation to ta3e control/
My Own Analysis:
#his article provided an e$cellent outline o" the nu(erical advantages o" Socratic Se(inars5
however0 it lac3ed a "ull e$planation o" the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal/ 4hile
the (i$ed (ethod approach to the study is *ene"icial0 it was not "ully outlined to the e$tent it
needed to *e "or readers to appreciate the nu(erical gains students were (a3ing/ &" this process
Student-Led Discussions 18
was *etter e$plained0 then the 4atson-@laser Critical #hin3ing Appraisal would have *een
recogni9ed as a valua*le source o" (easuring students? critical thin3ing levels/
& appreciated how this study o""ered the *arriers and li(itations o" e$ecuting Socratic Se(inars/
#his is an e$cellent place to start (y research/ 6any teachers are e$tre(ely hesitant to give up
control o" their classroo(s0 and the li(itation o" +u(ping in to aid students when they are
"loundering or o"" trac3 is valua*le "or teachers to recogni9e *e"ore *eginning such an
instructional initiative/ 6any 'uestions can co(e up when addressing this topic/ 4hy are
teachers hesitant to i(ple(ent Socratic Se(inars) 4hat can *e done to prepare teachers to
e""ectively launch the pedagogical approach in their own classroo(s)