The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course

Authors

Lawrence R. Burns, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow
Paul L. Stephenson, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow
Katy Bellamy, Grand Valley State University

Keywords

psychology capstone, Socratic method, cognitive complexity index, Learning Environment Preferences, LEP, constructivist

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Although students make some epistemological progress during college, most graduate without developing meaning-making strategies that reflect an understanding that knowledge is socially constructed. Using a pre-test–post-test design and a within-subjects 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA, this study reports on empirical findings which support the Socratic method of teaching as effective in challenging and changing psychology capstone students’ levels of epistemological maturity as measured by the Learning Environment Preferences survey and Perry’s model of intellectual maturity.

Comments

Original Citation:

Burns, L. R., Stephenson, P. L., & Bellamy, K. (2016). The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course. Psychology Learning & Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725716671824

Presentation slides from the Vancouver International Teaching of Psychology

• Conference: scholarworks.gvsu.edu/psy_conference/1
• Related video: scholarworks.gvsu.edu/psy_conference/2

ScholarWorks Citation

Burns, Lawrence R.; Stephenson, Paul L.; and Bellamy, Katy, "The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course" (2016). Peer Reviewed Articles. 56.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/psy_articles/56