Espousing The Socratic Pedagogy To Boost Efl Students' Historical Thinking Skills And Oral Proficiency: Unveiling Pathways To A Profound Grasp Of Civilization
Keywords:
Socratic Method, critical thinking, historical thinking skills, EFL, civilization courses, oral proficiencyAbstract
In recent years, the Socratic Method has received an unprecedented attention worldwide. In retrospect, many rigorous research papers have meticulously experimented the aforementioned strategy in different educational spheres such as medicine, law and business schools. Nevertheless, the findings are increasingly accentuating the efficacy of the Socratic reasoning to forge robust critical thinking skills among students. In EFL classes, educationalists’ fundamental aim goes beyond a mere language acquisition, but rather a thorough incorporation of pedagogical strategies to delve into different subject matters while teaching English. This article explores the concept of the ancient Socratic Method and how it can be employed in contemporary EFL settings. It also reports the findings of an experimental study conducted in the department of English at Oum El Bouaghi University to evaluate the feasibility of the Socratic model to boost Second year Master students’ historical thinking skills. This study validates the Socratic model as a vital tool to nurture students’ oral proficiency and mindfulness in civilization classes. Keywords: Socratic Method; critical thinking; historical thinking skills; EFL; civilization courses; oral proficiency.
References
ACTFL. (n.d.). Oral proficiency interview (OPI). https://www.actfl.org/assessments/postsecondary-assessments/opi
Adler, M. J. (1982). The paideia proposal: An educational manifesto. Macmillan.
Bernard, R. M., Zhang, D., Abrami, P. C., Sicoly, F., Borokhovski, E., & Surkes, M. A. (2008). Exploring the structure of the Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal: One scale or many subscales? Thinking Skills and Creativity, 3(1), 15–22.
Boghossian, P. (2006). Socratic pedagogy, critical thinking, and inmate education. Journal of Correctional Education, vol. 57, No. 1, 42-63.
Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2007). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (8th ed.). Pearson.
Delic, S. (2016). Socratic Method as an approach to teaching. European Researcher, 111(10), 511–517.
Dewey, J. (1910). How we think. D.C. Heath & Co.
El-Hassan, K., & Madhum, G. (2007). Validating the Watson Glaser critical thinking appraisal. Higher Education, 54(3), 361–383.
El Messaoudi, M., & Larouz, M. (2023). Beyond rote drills: Proposing novel gamification frameworks for transformative EFL classrooms. Journal of Studies in Language, Culture, and Society, 6(2), 1-20.
Facione, P. A. (2015). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts (report). Insight Assessment.
Facione, P. A. (1990). A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction, California State University, Fullerton, 1–111.
Facione, P. A., Sanchez, C. A., Facione, N. C., & Gainen, J. (1995). The disposition toward critical thinking. The Journal of General Education, 44(1), 1-25.
Fischer, C. A. (2019). The power of the Socratic classroom: Students, questions, dialogue, learning (1st ed.). Sienna Books.
Gadzella, B. M., Stacks, J., Stephens, R. C., & Masten, W. G. (2006). Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal, Form-S for education majors. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 33(2), 120–126.
Gormley, W. T., Jr. (2017). The critical advantage: Developing critical thinking skills in school. Harvard Education Press.
Greene, C. (2005). Education as the practice of freedom. The Journal of Educational Horizons, 84(1), 50–55.
Knežić, D., Wubbels, T., Elbers, E., & Hajer, M. (2013). Teachers' education in Socratic dialogue: Some effects on teacher-learner interaction. The Modern Language Journal, 97(2), 490-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12014.x
Knox, D. K. (1998). Socrates: The first professor. Innovative Higher Education, 23(2), 115-126.
Nussbaum, M. C. (1997). Cultivating humanity: A classical defence of reform in liberal education. Harvard University Press.
Overholser, J. C. (1992). Socrates in the classroom. College Teaching, 40(1), 14-19.
Paideia. (n.d.). Paideia seminar. https://www.paideia.org/our-approach/paideia-seminar/index
Robinson, R. (1942). Dialectic and questioning: Socrates and Plato. The Classical Quarterly, 36(3/4), 76–89.
Robinson, T. (1998). The power of paideia schools: Defining lives through learning. ASCD.
Schneider, J. (2013). Remembrance of things past: A history of the Socratic method in the United States. History of Education Quarterly, 53(1), 1-20.
Wilberding, E. (2014). Teach like Socrates: Guiding Socratic dialogues and discussions in the classroom. Prufrock Press.
Wilberding, E. (2021). Socratic methods in the classroom: Encouraging critical thinking and problem solving through dialogue (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003238089.
