Lesson 1

SOCRATIC QUESTIONING
A starting point for critical thinking
Which is more important?

Questions

Answers

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 SILENCED?
What if no questions had ever been asked, for example, in Physics or Biology
– or in any other intellectual field?

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 The last time you had to think very hard about something...

Were you asking yourself questions?

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So questioning is the tool...

Drive
thinking

Signal real
Define
thinking +
tasks
learning
Questions

Delineate Express
issues problems

5 (c) 2009 Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Available from: http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/the-role-socratic-questioning-ttl.cfm [Accessed 26 November2010]
Types of questions and their ‘power’
Questions of Questions of Questions of
purpose accuracy precision

Questions of Questions of Questions of

information relevance consistency

Questions of Questions of Questions of

interpretation point-of-view logic

Questions of Questions of
assumption implication

6 (c)
(c) 2009
2009 Foundation
Foundation for
for Critical
Critical Thinking.
Thinking.
Available from: http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/the-role-socratic-questioning-ttl.cfm [Accessed 26 November2010]
Available from: http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/the-role-socratic-questioning-ttl.cfm [Accessed 26 November2010]
In a nutshell...

Quality of Quality of
questions the thinking

A full stop
Answers to thought

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 WHAT IS SOCRATIC QUESTIONING?
And what’s so special about it?

8 Socrates with Disciples by Raffaello Santi (1483-1520). Available from:

http://nibiryukov.narod.ru/nb_pinacoteca/nbe_pinacoteca_philosophers_a.htm [Accessed 3 December 2010]
Origins of Socratic Questioning

Named for Socrates (470-399 B.C.), the

Greek philosopher/teacher, a Socratic
approach is based on the practice of
disciplined, rigorously thoughtful dialogue
between two parties. The disciplined
practice of thoughtful questioning enables
us to examine ideas logically and to
determine the validity of those ideas. Also
known as the dialectical approach, this type
of questioning can correct misconceptions
and lead to reliable knowledge construction.

9 (c) 2009 Department of Physics at Illinois State University

What is Socratic Questioning?
 Systematic, focused approach to
questioning What the word
‘Socratic’ adds is
 Disciplined, structured questioning
‘systematicity’,
 Dialogue format: ‘depth’, and a keen
 ‘Interviewer’ asks a series of interest in assessing
questions, each building on the the truth or
responses provided by the plausibility of things.
‘interviewee’
~ Foundation for Critical
 Serves two main purposes: Thinking, 2009
 Deconstruct existing knowledge
 Construct new knowledge

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Why use Socratic Questioning?
 Helps you think critically by focusing explicitly on the
process of thinking
 Causes you to slow down and examine your own thinking
processes (i.e., reflective thinking)
 Helps you achieve the following learning goals:

Learn to use Practise Facilitate Improve

Develop
scientific active, self- inquiry- Construct long-term
problem-
practices of driven based knowledge retention of
solving skills
inquiry learning learning knowledge

Science Education Resource Center @ Carleton College (2010) Why use Socratic Questioning? [online].
11 Available from: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/socratic/third.html [Accessed 5 December 2010]
How it works

Socratic
questioning

Deconstruct Construct
existing new
knowledge knowledge

Discover
Reveals
Reveals the
the
Tests
Tests one’s
one’s true
true new/other
new/other ways
ways
Assesses
Assesses the
the gaps
gaps in
in one’s
one’s
level
level of
of of
of approaching/
approaching/
validity of one’s knowledge;
understanding viewing/
views
views and
and opens
opens one’s
one’s
of
of the
the issue
issue in
in addressing
addressing
beliefs mind to other
focus problems/issue
possibilities
possibilities s

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 Types of Socratic Questions

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Types of Socratic Questions
Questions for
clarification
Questions that
Questions about
probe
the initial
implications and
question or issue
consequences

Questions about Questions that

viewpoints and probe
perspectives assumptions

Questions that
Questions about
probe reasons and
origin or source
evidence

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 Preparing for a Socratic Dialogue

How do you use the Socratic questions in a dialogue?

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Here’s an example of a dialogue...
 What is your favourite music video  What are the singers assuming
(MV) which is based on a social when they did this MV?
cause? [ASSUMPTIONS]
 Why?  What are the possible
 Why was the MV written? [INITIAL consequences of the issues as a
QUESTION/ PURPOSE] result of this MV?
[IMPLICATIONS &
 Could you elaborate on _____?
CONSEQUENCES]
[ISSUE]
 Whose point(s) of view is/are
 What evidence was presented?
presented? [Or, which interest [REASONS &
group do the singers represent?] EVIDENCE/DATA]
[VIEWPOINTS &
PERSPECTIVES]

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