Volume 31, Issue 3, September 2008
Mehul Shah
Pages 267-275
The Socratic Teaching Method
A Therapeutic Approach to Learning
This paper will show how the three principles of the Socratic teaching method—midwifery, recollection, and cross-examination—are utilized in the treatment of learning diseases, that is, attitudes that interfere with effective learning. The Socratic teaching method differs from the traditional lecture model of teaching, but it does not sacrifice the therapeutic for the informative task of teaching. Rather, by indirectly imparting content and uncovering implicit content through careful questioning, it provides a careful balance between the informative and therapeutic aspects of teaching. Insights from client-centered and cognitive therapy can enhance the effectiveness of the Socratic teaching method.