(PDF) Socratic Method as an Approach to Teaching
Added on 2021-04-17
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Running head: Socratic Questioning and Associated Methods 1Application of Socratic Questioning and Associated Methods in Critical and Clinical Decision-MakingStudent’s NameCourseProfessor’s Name
Socratic Questioning and Associated Methods 2The provisions of professional health care giving put the patients squarely in the hands ofthe practicing medical professionals whose decisions directly impact on the patients they handle.In given occasions, patients’ health conditions have been negatively impacted by wrongdecisions made by their caregivers. As such, it calls for critical reasoning and adequate decisionmaking skills in order to eliminate the adverse effects that would otherwise occur in patientswhile under the care of nurses and other practitioners. One such skill involves an effective use ofSocratic questions, a method that was majorly used by Socrates as part of effective learningguide for students. Whereas the first section of this study makes a critical review of the existingliterature on Socratic questioning and other associated methods that influence self-developmentof critical and clinical decision-making skills, the second section identifies the key themes andsubsequently discusses how the Socratic questioning and the associated methods can impact onclinical practice as it applies to advanced nursing practice. Section A: A Critical Review of Literature on Socratic Questioning and AssociatedMethodsSocrates developed the Socratic questioning whose main purpose was to challenge thecompleteness and accuracy of thinking in a manner that moves the subjects to their ultimategoals. The Socratic questions are basically grouped into six categories notably those that:Instigate conceptual clarification; probe assumptions; probe rationale, evidence, and reasons;question perceptions and viewpoints; probe the possible consequences and implications; andquestion about the questions themselves (Changing Minds, 2018). Basically, an effectivethinking is driven by questions and not answers. Beck and Dozois (2015) assert that Socraticmethod is a discovery-guided method in which a series of carefully organized questions are
Socratic Questioning and Associated Methods 3asked by a therapist in a bid to define the problem at hand, help in identifying beliefs andthoughts, give an examination to the meaning of events, or make an assessment of ramificationsof given behaviors or thoughts. The medical field, in essence, stays alive only to whatever extentthat new questions are developed and seriously considered as the force driving a clear process ofthinking. According to Newton, Darwin and Einstein (2017), questions play a significant role indefining the tasks, problem expression and delineation of issues and as such, only practitionerswith questions do employ constructive thinking and develop proper answers in care giving. Thequality of thinking that the medical practitioners do is greatly determined by the quality of thequestions that they ask. Ideally, health providers need questions in order to turn their intellectualengines and must themselves generate questions from the already existing ones in order toachieve this. An elaborate consideration a number of literatures shows that Socratic questioning hasled to the development of efficient treatment methods. A wide range of psychological disordershave been treated through the intervention of diagnosis-specific CBT which practically makesuse of Socratic questions in delivery protocols (Hofmann & Smits, 2014; Robichaud & Dugas,2016). It is notable that at the moment, CBT stands out as the most preferred treatment for avariety of conditions related to psychological disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2014;NICE, 2013). By use of randomized controlled trials which practically assesses whether or not asignificant symptomatic change results from a CBT treatment package, the CBT efficacy hasbeen greatly demonstrated. On the flip side, however, Roth and Pilling (2017) argue that it hasnot been very possible to determine to what extent the effects of the competencies of thetherapist are reflected on the efficacy of the treatment methods such as therapist questioningstyle.
Socratic Questioning and Associated Methods 4Comparatively, Socratic questioning has also received a fair share of criticism from anumber of researches. The critiques have questioned on whether Socratic Method is indeed anessential component in patient evaluation and treatment. One such criticism is attributed toFairburn (2015) who argues that simpler and more effective means could be used to arrive at theamicable results rather than using the Socratic Method in treatment. Fairburn attests that themethod is more complex and time consuming and as such, is not applicable in instances ofemergencies. DeRubeis et al. (2009) further argues that the development of therapist skills inSocratic Method requires a significant amount of time and the clinical skills in this case aretechnically hard to master. Contrary to these opinions, however, many other therapists argue thatSocratic Method is a cornerstone as far as an effective CBT treatment delivery is concerned.They relate the method to the primary role it plays in developing the best approach in patienthandling. Basically, the achievement of competency in Socratic question usage is considerably aprimary goal of therapy training (Liness & Muston, 2015). Whereas the Socratic questioning method has been effectively used in the delivery ofefficacious treatments over time, the evaluation methods give no prompt validity as to whether itmakes a significant contribution to the overall effectiveness of the treatment administered. Assuch, the medical practitioners are advised that when faced with a therapy characterized bylimited time and the clinical reality organizational pressure, they should consider limiting theusage of the technically difficult and time-consuming technique unless there is a well definedrationale for its application (Beck & Dozois, 2011). In addition to Socratic questioning, concept mapping also plays a significant role leadingto a more informed decision making by the clinicians and nurses. According to Al Ameen J MedSci (2014), the innovative nature of concept mapping enables it to help nurses and medical
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