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Socratic Pedagogy, Critical Thinking, Moral Reasoning and Inmate Education: an Exploratory Study Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2004 Socratic Pedagogy, Critical Thinking, Moral Reasoning and Inmate Education: An Exploratory Study Peter Boghossian Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Education Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Boghossian, Peter, "Socratic Pedagogy, Critical Thinking, Moral Reasoning and Inmate Education: An Exploratory Study" (2004). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3668. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5552 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. SOCRATIC PEDAGOGY, CRITICAL THINKING, MORAL REASONING AND INMATE EDUCATION: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY by PETER BOGHOSSIAN A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION Portland State University ®2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DISSERTATION APPROVAL The abstract and dissertation of Peter Boghossian for the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction were presented May 5, 2004, and accepted by the dissertation committee and the doctoral program. COMMITTEE APPROVALS: Robert B. Everhart Ulrich H. Hardt Donald R. Moor M. Carrol Tama Michael J. Flowdr Representative bf the pffice of Graduate Studies ' - DOCTORAL PROGRAM APPROVAL: lylfis J. Edmundson, Dean Graduate School of Education Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT An abstract of the dissertation of Peter Boghossian for the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction presented May 5, 2004. Title: Socratic Pedagogy, Critical Thinking, Moral Reasoning and Inmate Education: An Exploratory Study This exploratory study examines the hypothesis that Socratic pedagogy is a useful tool for imparting critical thinking and moral reasoning skills to inmates. The study explores the effectiveness of a new curriculum,Introducing Socrates, which relies on Socratic pedagogy to achieve its objectives. The curriculum draws from the effective criminal justice research on cognitive education to determine its objectives, and then looks to the Platonic dialogues to find broad philosophical questions that tie into those objectives. The program also evaluates salient criticisms of Socratic pedagogy that are found in the educational and philosophical literature, and then isolates and evaluates constructs from these criticisms in the study. Results of this study suggest thatIntroducing Socrates has the potential to help inmates by providing them with better options, by changing ways they Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. approach problems, and by ultimately giving them tools that will enable them to make better decisions. Notably, no other inmate education treatment currently available is Socratically-based, either pedagogically or with regard to the course content. This is significant because Socratically-based programs have the potential to achieve the same objectives more efficiently, more cost-effectively, and in a more engaging way. This has obvious fiscal, social and psychological benefits for communities and individuals. In sum, this ancient educational and pedagogical approach, when combined with existing corrections educational objectives, may prove to be a uniquely powerful tool to help inmates generate better options to problems and make better choices—and to thus stay out of prison. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................v GLOSSARY OF TERMS ............................................................................................ vi CHAPTER I IN TRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 The Purpose of this Study ....................................................... 4 II LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................10 Corrections Education.............................................................. 11 Corrections: What Works and What Does Not Conclusion The Socratic M ethod.................................................................31 What Is the Socratic Method? Socratic Seminars and Truthfulness Socratic Constructs....................................................................39 Introduction Leadership, Power, and the Socratic M ethod..................... 40 The Socratic Method and Educational Leadership The Traditional Classroom The Socratic Teacher and Power Positions: Who Controls What? Leadership, Power, and Goals So What? A Preemptive Rebuttal Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Leadership Questions Resolved Socratic Pedagogy, Race, and Power: From People to Propositions.......................................................................54 Introduction Race, Class, and Gender Power Dynamics Conclusion Socratic Education: Countering the Claims of Perplexity, Humiliation, and Sham.................................. e 65 Perplexity? Coming Out of the Cave Humiliation, Shame, and a Broken Egg Conclusion Chapter Summary ........................................................... 78 III METHODS ...........................................................................................79 Research Questions..................................................... 79 Design ........................................................................................ 80 O b jectiv es ................................. .............................................. 82 Subjects ..................................................................................... 84 Subject Recruitment Prison System .............................................................................85 Course Objectives, Content, and Structure.......................... 87 Data Collection..........................................................................88 Inmate Feedback Questionnaire Generating Options Pre- and Post-Test Focus Group Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Data Analysis.............................................................................93 IV RESULTS . .................................................................................. 99 Socratic Analysis.......................................................................99 Research Question #1 ........................................................ 114 Inmate Feedback Questionnaire Focus Group Additional Questions and Comments In-Treatment Observation Feedback from Prison Officials Research Question #1 Summary Research Question #2.......................................................... 134 Generating Options Pre- and Post-Test Focus Group Research Question #2 Summary Research Question #3............................................ 138 Focus Group In-Treatment Observation Research Question #3 Summary Chapter Summary.......................................................................... 146 V DISCUSSION ................................................................................... 147 Research Questions.............................................................. 147 Research Question #1 Research Question #2 Research Question #3 Limitations.................................................................................156 D iscussion.................................................................................157 MRT and R & R..................................................... 172 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. iv Personal Reflection.............................................................. 174 Recommendations .............................................................. 177 Further Socratic Treatment Criminal Justice Facility Administrators Summary Chapter Summary .............................................................. 182 REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................183 APPENDICES A CONSENSUS LIST OF CRITICAL THINKING, COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SUB-SKILLS ........................ 201 B QUESTIONNAIRE......................................................... 203 C CRITICAL THINKING CORE ELEMENTS ......................... 205 D GENERATING OPTIONS PRE- AND POST-TEST 207 E INTRODUCING SOCRATES SYLLABUS ............................ 209 F DISCUSSION QUESTIONS .......................................................... 212 G PRE- AND POST-TEST EVALUATIONS............................... 214 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1 Interview Protocol................................................................................ 92 2 Research Questions
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