Using the Socratic Seminar to Improve Student Comprehension
Purpose Statement:
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the Socratic seminar method on junior high students’ learning in Religion, especially regarding comprehension and higher order thinking skills.
Research Questions:
- Do students use evidence from the text to support written opinions and ideas when writing about a seminar topic?
- Do students scaffold their written opinions with facts and logical reasoning?
- What are students’ perceptions about the value of Socratic seminars on their ability to comprehend and analyze the text?