What Socrates Taught Us as Educators?
Helping the student to ‘give birth’ to the correct insight
Thousands of years ago, a man walked into Athens and started to ask questions. Athens was once THE centre of Greek culture and full of sophists (wise and informed person).
He gave the impression that he wants to learn from those he spoke with. He discussed and started to ask
‘What is justice?’
‘What is piety?’
“What is love?’
Interestingly, most people he met thought that they know all the answers to that questions, but after further questioning and testing hypothesis, they realised the weakness of their argument and come to the conclusion that they actually did not really know what they thought they know at all.
For this man, his task was to help people to ‘give birth’ to the correct insight since real understanding must come from within, not someone else.
Sadly, his questioning led him to his death.
Ironic, yes?
That man was Socrates, a western philosopher whom we knew through the writing of his famous student, Plato.
Wait … What Socrates had anything to do with us, educators?
We have one similar attribute with him. We asked questions, just like Socrates did. Agree?
So my next questions will be…
Why we should ask questions in the first place?
What are the benefits of asking questions, furthermore asking the right questions, the right way?
Did our questioning to students, ‘gave birth’ to the correct insight? Made them think and learn deeper?
At some point in our teaching, we might think we did ask the right questions, the right way but are we sure we are “asking questions” not pimping?
Pimping has various definition in the literature but generally, it has a negative connotation even though there are overlapping elements between the two (pimping and questioning )
There are quite a number of references of Socratic method in the medical education literature and while pimping is a common practice in medical teaching, particularly clinical teaching, one journal paper mentioned
The distinction between Socratic teaching and pimping lies in the perception of “psychological safety.” Psychological safety allows learners to answer questions or ask for help without threats to their dignity or worthiness.
In a psychologically safe clinical teaching context, learners recognize that questions posed by attending physicians probe their current understanding and guide them to expand their knowledge. In pimping, questions are posed to embarrass the learner and to reinforce the teacher’s position of power over them.
We can agree to disagree here.
Basically, the basic goals of Socratic questioning are to challenge the way and completeness of thinking, to scrutinize and explore the ideas in-depth and then validate them. The educator ‘playing dumb’ to engage the conversation with the learners and enable them to lead the pathway to their fullest potential to acquire the knowledge.
In medical and clinical education, critical thinking and good clinical reasoning is one of the important elements, and one way to teach this is by using Socratic Method of questioning.
Much had been written about this method and many types of questions have emerged from this.
Among others are :
- Clarification questions
can you expand on that?
Can you explain more?
2. Questions about initial question or issue
Why do think that way?
Why that question is essential?
3. Assumption questions
So you are assuming …?
Assuming that is correct, why…?
4. Reasons and evidence questions
How do you come to that conclusion?
Any reason to refuse that evidence?
5. Origin or source question
Where do you read that?
Is this your original idea or where do you adopt it?
6. Implication and consequences questions
What will be the effect of that?
If that happens, what will happen next?
7. Viewpoint questions
How do you want to compare those two?
What are the pro and cons of…?
So, how can we practice the Socratic Method of questioning in our teaching?
There is no one correct way to do the Socratic Method in our teaching. If you are a novice, maybe you want to check this and build from there
For medical and health science educator, this writing by a pharmacy lecturer will give you some insight on how to start and choose the right types of questions to reach certain goals in teaching.
Also, Appendix A in this article provides you with an abbreviated example of how the questioning takes place in the classroom.
We can try that and see how it goes.
I would like to hear more from all educators on how you asked questions in your teaching sessions.
Feel free to continue this conversation in the comment section.
An unexamined life is not worth living — Socrates
P/S: For those who want to know more about Socrates and other western philosophers, can read a book titled Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. (and be prepared to enter the ancient world of uncertainties).
