The development of Critical Thinking Skills through Socratic Circles in the EFL Class

• Autores: Ojeda, Hernán Gregorio
• Año de publicación: 2024
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: tesis de maestría
• Colaborador/a o director/a de tesis: Lauría, Patricia del Valle
• Materia: Critical Thinking skills; Socratic circles; EFL; TBLT
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

Maestría en Inglés con orientación en Lingüística Aplicada
Fil: Ojeda, Hernán Gregorio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas; Argentina.
This study explores the implementation of Socratic circles in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom and its impact on the development of critical thinking skills. The primary focus is on the effectiveness of Socratic circles in fostering these skills among secondary school students. Employing a qualitative research paradigm, the study adopts the action research methodology and employs an emergent design to examine the experiences of 29 sixth-year students at Colegio Santo Tomás de las Escuelas Pías in Córdoba City, Argentina. Data analysis suggests that Socratic circles effectively integrate Task-Based Language Teaching principles, promote a positive classroom atmosphere, and foster the development of higher-order critical thinking skills. The pedagogical implications of the study indicate that Socratic circles offer a practical application of the Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach. Socratic circles encourage authentic language use, strategic discourse, and the integration of personal experiences into discussions. This method also fosters a supportive classroom atmosphere, lowering students' affective filters and facilitating language learning. Besides, the analysis shows that students who pose questions engage in higher-order critical thinking as it involves a number of interdependent tasks. Posing questions represents an authentic task that is triggered by Socratic practice. Students evaluate the validity, reliability, and relevance of ideas and share their worldviews by taking on the leading role in the dialogue. These skills may be transferable to various academic and real-world contexts, which underscores the broader educational value of Socratic circles. The results support the use of Socratic circles as an effective approach to implementing task-based language instruction, emphasizing authentic communication and integrated skills development in secondary EFL education.
Fil: Ojeda, Hernán Gregorio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas; Argentina.