Running Head: SOCRATIC METHOD IN THE CLASSROOM

Socratic Method in the Classroom

Rebecca Keppler
Widener University

SOCRATIC METHOD IN THE CLASSROOM

Abstract
The purpose of this research study is to determine if the use of the Socratic method in a
nursing lecture will enable the students to better understand the information being taught.
The Socratic method has been utilized in other disciplines, but no research has been done
on undergraduate nursing education. This research topic was established by looking at
similar studies done on different disciplines. A literature review will be done to identify
any previous evidence on the Socratic method. If this study were conducted the use of
surveys would be best for collecting the data.

SOCRATIC METHOD IN THE CLASSROOM

Learning in the classroom can be challenging due to distractions like computer

use, classmates, and types of lecture techniques. The uses of different types of lecture
techniques can promote engagement of learning. This research study focus is to
determine if the use of the Socratic method promotes student learning by allowing critical
thinking and discussion. The research question is: Does the Socratic method increase
student engagement in a nursing lecture?
The Socratic method was named after the Greek philosopher Socrates. Socratic
approach to teaching is based on the practice of disciplined, rigorously thoughtful
dialogue, (Bam, 2012). This teaching strategy promotes independent thinking by
allowing the students to have a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion that will
engage them in thinking through their own ideas and responses to the topic, and to what
they have been learning in the course (Bam, 2012). The desired outcome of using the
Socratic method is for students to learn more information on a topic. This is done by
questioning students to expand their thinking and to allow for them to critically think
about the topic.
The purpose of this research study is to determine if the use of the Socratic
method in a nursing lecture will enable the students to better understand the information
being taught. Multiple studies have explored the topic of the Socratic method in teaching.
However, there are only a few done on nursing students. This paper will analyze other
studies to provide evidence regarding the Socratic method.

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Review of Literature
There were fifteen different articles that were analyzed for this research study.
The databases that were used to find these articles were PubMED, CINAHL, ERIC,
MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and the Academic Search Premier. The term used when
searching all the databases were, Socratic method.
The first article analyzed was, A Socratic Method for Surveying Students
Readiness to Study Evolution, by William D. Stansfield (2013). This journal article
focuses on an evolution class at a high school. The research study was a qualitative study.
The research tool used was a survey; the survey tested the students general
understanding on basic concepts of reproduction, heredity, ontology, and phenotypic
diversity, so that the teacher can focus his lecture on topics the students dont understand
clearly, rather then teach what the students already know. The article outlines a Socratic
method for surveying and teaching that address these concerns, (Stansfield, 2013).
Stansfield (2013) provides a simple Socratic method that high school and college
teachers of evolution can give to their students prior to class to evaluate their level of
knowledge about a certain subject. The article explains the original Socratic method as a
series of questions with the object of eliciting expressions of opinions in order to
establish, or refute, a proposition or conclusion, Stansfield, 2013. The Socratic method
used in the research in this article includes a list of statements, propositions, or
conclusions designed to have students pick if they think they are true or false. This
information is then used to focus the lectures on information they did not have efficient
knowledge on. The teacher then guides the lecture by a responsive teaching method,
that allows the teachers to see how the students are thinking and they will be able to

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better conduct the lecture. This Socratic method has three different functions: to engage
students into introspection regarding their grasp of fundamental genetic and evolution
concepts; to stimulate student interest and thoughtful participation in class discussions;
and to allow teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the method, (Stansfield, 2013).
The second article that was analyzed is Using Socratic Questioning in the
Classroom, by Lori Moore and Rick Rudd (2002). This article is focused on a different
teaching technique utilized on agriculture students. The type of teaching is Socratic
questioning. This type of teaching is known for never answering a question, but rather
asking more questions. This will allow the students to have more questions to lead
themselves to an answer, and requires students to think about the whole concept rather
than simply accepting an answer from the teacher. The hope of this type of Socratic
teaching is to allow a greater understanding of the concept involved.
The Socratic Questioning Model consists of four components: origin and source,
support, reason, evidence, and assumption, conflicting views, and implication and
consequences. Each component represents an area in which a teacher can question
students, (Moore & Rudd, 2002). Moore & Rudd (2002) concluded that the Socratic
questioning used as a teaching method keeps students active in learning. Students who
are active in participating in class are less likely to be bored and more likely to
concentrate on the learning, this type of lecture is shown to be a great way for the
students to be active learners.
The Role of Teacher Questions and the Socratic Method in EFL Classrooms in
Kiwait, by Salwa Al-Darwish (2012) was reviewed. This article looked at a study that
compared two ways of questioning, the Socratic method and traditional method. The

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study was done on 15 teachers classrooms of 5th grade students. The data was collected
through a qualitative observational method. The use of Socratic method of teaching uses
questions and answers to challenge assumptions, expose contraindications, and generate
new knowledge and wisdom in an undeniably powerful teaching approach, (Al-Darwish,
2012). This study showed that in order for the Socratic method to be effective the teacher
has to fully understand the goals and steps of the method and design questions that would
allow students think more critically about the different topics being taught.
The next article analyzed, Teaching Tax Through the Socratic Method, by Rafi
Efrat (2008), this study focused on students in a law class. The most common type of
teaching is by lecturing. Efrat (2008) explores the importance of using the Socratic
method in a law class to show students how to critically think about cases. This study is a
quantitative study and it started with 52 students in the beginning and at the end it had 42.
The results of this study show that students not only show discernable improvement in
the classroom but also in critical thinking.
The next article that was looked at is The Old is New Again: Using the Socratic
Teaching Method in a Graduate Student Setting, by Phil Hamilton, Doug Ullrich, and
Dwayne Pavelock (2008). This article provides tips for success using the Socratic
method. This article is a good resource for teachers to find out how to use Socratic
method in their lectures being taught. By the teachers having this resource it provides
them with the information they need to be successful in teaching in this form of lecture.
The study that was done was a qualitative study.
The next article is, Teach to Think: Applying the Socratic Method Outside the
Law School Setting, by Evan Peterson (2009). Petersons article explains the

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overwhelming amount of information that has to be taught about each study topic, and
that there is not enough time in one lecture period to include teaching on all the details. In
this article it explains the argument that the educational needs of students cannot be met
in the classroom, and teaching is more effective by providing the tools to examine and
analyze any subject, rather than providing them with many facts about each topic. This
article goes on to explain how the Socratic method facilitates student learning by
providing an inquisitive and active approach of learning. The study that was done in this
article was a qualitative study.
The next article The Socratic method in the introductory Public Relations course:
an alternative pedagogy, by Michael G. Parkinson and Daradirek Ekachai (2002) is about
the study comparing the students reactions to and perceptions of learning in a
introductory public relations courses using a traditional lecture format and a Socratic
approach. This study included 227 undergraduate students enrolled in the introductory
public relations course at a 4-year college. The conclusion of the studied showed that
students who were taught using the Socratic method would: (1) retain more factual
information about public relations, (2) feel more confident in their knowledge and skills
needed to work in public relations, (3) report more opportunity to practice critical
thinking, (4) report more opportunity to practice problem solving skills, (5) report greater
aspiration to work in public relations, and (6) report higher levels of course satisfaction,
(Parkinson & Ekachai, 2002).
The next article is The Socratic Method in Plastic Surgery Education: A Lost Art
Revisited, by Rod Rohrich and Donnell Johns (2000). The Socratic teaching model used
for this study looks to find a resident that was taught by the Socratic method that has the

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dual ability to define problems and to find solutions. This study is a qualitative study on
plastic surgery residents. The expectations of using the Socratic method in this study the
residents will be able to: read with meaning and intent, retain what they have learned,
feel a part of the creative process, develop reasoning and deductive thinking, evolve
rationale into safe, sound surgical judgment, learn what is relevant, and gain an intensive
understanding, (Rohrich & Johns, 2000). They study also focuses on the faculty and
their benefit of the study should allow them to: creatively develop questions by using
analogies, use hypothetical situations to illustrate questions, reexamine their own
knowledge, and think and act clearly by developing logical rational for why and when
techniques are done, (Rohrich & Johns, 2000). In plastic surgery there are many ways
to reach the proper solution; that is why it is vital for the surgeons to have developed
deductive reasoning and logical, safe surgical judgment to preform the surgeries, and
using the Socratic method is shown to be best to learn this set of skills.
The next article, To Find Yourself, Think for Yourself, by Barbara Fink
Chorzempa and Laurie Lapidus (2009), is about the use of Socratic seminars to teach
students how to think using supporting details. This article lays out the steps it takes to
conduct a Socratic Seminar as well as examples of a seminar. A Socratic seminar is
defined as, exploratory intellectual conversation centered on a text, (Chorzempa &
Lapidus, 2009). The seminars are held in a student-centered environment to allow
students to work together and to develop ideas with the other students on the topic. This
type of study is a qualitative study. The outcome of using Socratic seminars for learning
information is for students to learn to, analyze a text through questioning, find evidence
in the text, explore the elements of the story through discussions, and finally prepare a

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written response reflecting the main themes of the story, (Chorzempa & Lapidus, 2009).
The next article looked at is the Socratic Method and the Internet: Using Tiered
Discussion to Facilitate Understanding in a Graduate Nursing Theory Course, by Ellen
Beth Saroszewski, PhD, RN, APRN-BC, Anita G. Kinser, EdD, RCN, and Susan L.
Lloyd, PhD, RN, CNS (2004). This article explains the study done on an in-class and
online class. The study included 17 students. This study is an innovated 2-tiered
discussion strategy that was used to expand reflection and increase comprehension of the
course content (Saroszewski, Kinser, & Lloyd, 2004). The Socratic method was used in
the in-class portion of the study for the first tier and an unstructured online format was
used for the online class for the second tier. This article discussed the study approach and
provides how the strategy of the Socratic method promotes understanding, critical
thinking, and social interaction. The conclusion of the study showed that all the students
who participated in the study found that using the Socratic method was highly effective
and valuable.
The last article that was analyzed is, The Fact of Ignorance Revisiting the
Socratic Method as a Tool for Teaching Critical Thinking, by Douglas Oyler, PharmD
and Frank Romanelli, PharmD, MPH (2014). This article examines why current methods
of teaching critical thinking to health care students often fail and describes a premise and
potential use of the Socratic method as a tool to teach critical thinking in health care
education, (Oyler & Romanelli, 2014). Socratic questioning describes 3 types of
questions and when used correctly by the questioner can help the students in regulating
their own thoughts. This article compares different types of teaching by looking at
different studies done. The study was done on 74-upper level medical students. More

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research has to be done on the topic but introduction of Socratic method into the
classroom setting may allow educators to instill the ability to recognize the deep structure
of questions and begin the critical thinking process prior to practice experience, (Oyler
& Romanelli, 2014). This was the only article found that was focused on nursing, this is
why it is important to do conduct a research study to find out more information on the
views of the Socratic method and the advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusion
These articles focus on all different types of study areas but the one thing they
have in common is the use of the Socratic method. The use of the Socratic method in all
of these articles provides evidence that the Socratic method is a beneficial tool that
should be used in the classroom. Of these articles two of them are focused on a nursing
class. There are minimal research studies done on nursing lectures using the Socratic
method. Therefore, by doing this research study it could provide an answer to the
research question: Does the Socratic method increase student engagement in a nursing
lecture? The hope of this research study is to gather evidence from senior nursing
students who have been exposed to the Socratic method, to identify its effectiveness in
student engagement in the classroom.

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References
Al-Darwish, S. (2012). The Role of Teacher Question and the Socratic Method In EFL
Classrooms in Kuwait. World Journal of Education, 2(4), 76.
Chorzempa, B. F., & Lapidus, L. (2009). "To Find Yourself, Think for Yourself": Using
Socratic Discussions in Inclusive Classrooms. TEACHING Exceptional Children,
41(3), 54-59.
Daroszewski, E., Kinser, A., & Lloyd, S. (2004). Socratic method and the Internet: using
tiered discussion to facilitate understanding in a graduate nursing theory course.
Nurse Educator, 29(5), 189-191 3p.
Efrat, R. (2008). TEACHING TAX THROUGH THE SOCRATIC METHOD. The Tax
Adviser, 39(12), 773-776.
Hamilton, P., Ullrich, D., & Pavelock, D. (2006). The Old is New Again. NACTA
Journal, 50(4), p.66.
Moore, L., & Rudd, R. (2002). Using Socratic Questioning in the Classroom.
Agricultural Education Magazine, 75(3-), 24-25.
Oyler, D. R., & Romanelli, F. (2014). The Fact of Ignorance Revisiting the Socratic
Method as a Tool for Teaching Critical Thinking. American Journal Of
Pharmaceutical Education, 78(7), 1-9.
Parkinson, M. G., & Ekachai, D. (2002). The Socratic Method in the Introductory Public
Resource Course: An Alternative Pedagogy. Public Relations Review, 28(2), 16774.

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Peterson, E. (2009). Teaching to Think: Applying the Socratic Method outside the Law
School Setting. Journal Of College Teaching & Learning, 6(5), 83-88.
Rohrich, R.J., & Johns, D.F. (2000). The Socratic Method in Plastic Surgery Education: a
lost art revisited. Plast Reconstr Surg, 105(5), 1803-1805.
Stansfield, W. D. (2013). A Socratic Method for Surveying Students' Readiness to Study
Evolution. American Biology Teacher, 75(2), 102-105.