Group Work Using a Socratic Approach

The teacher from School C has made extensive use of a Socratic approach to teaching speaking and listening. The layout of the classroom is crucial to the success of this approach and requires a central group of tables for the discussion group with the remainder of the class seated around the room. Each pupil observing is assigned a particular pupil or aspect of discussion for the focus of their observations. In this way each pupil in the discussion group will have several 'observers' during the discussion. The observers are provided with guidance for their observations. An important feature is that the pupils are aware that they will all have a turn as part of the discussion group in later lessons.

At the end of the discussion activity, the teacher leads an evaluation where the observers are invited to comment on the contributions 'their' pupil has made to the discussion. As well as providing a valuable opportunity for pupils to reflect on their own contribution to the discussion there is a very clear strengthening of the quality of discussion in the class.

Activity

Watch the video clip of the Socratic discussion. Note how the teacher ensures that the observing pupils have a clear focus for their observations.

flv file School C, Year 11 - Group Work Using a Socratic Approach (01:50)

You can watch the video via 56k modem or slow (100kbps) / medium (256 kbps) / fast (400kbps) / very fast (800kbps) broadband connections, or as a Flash video for which you will need to have the flash plugin.

Transcript (24 KB)
With a colleague consider the advantages this approach offers.

Now watch the interview with the teacher and headteacher at School C where they describe the advantages of the approach.

flv file School C, Teacher - Group Work Using a Socratic Approach (01:38)

Transcript (22 KB)

flv file School A - Head - Group Work Using a Socratic Approach (00:32)

Transcript (20 KB)
Compare your thoughts with the advantages featured in the interview.

The benefits

As with whole-class dialogic talk, this approach allows the teacher vital space and time for reflecting on, assessing and recording pupils' skills in speaking and listening.

The next video clip shows pupils from School C discussing the benefits to them, both inside and outside school, of such speaking and listening. You could use this clip with some of your classes to begin a discussion on the benefits of speaking and listening.

flv file School C, Year 11 pupils - Group Work Using a Socratic Approach (00:37)

Transcript (20 KB)

Activity

Try out the Socratic approach with a class. It can often be most successful where there is likely to be a difference of opinion about the subject matter, which is why poetry and more challenging texts can prove to be effective, as can discussion about current contentious issues.

The Speaking and Listening improvement matrix has further suggestions of ways to approach the teaching of effective group work.

doc file Speaking and Listening improvement matrix (159 KB)