The Socratic Dialogue and teacher education

This article argues that the Socratic Dialogue in the Nelson and Heckmann tradition will prove a considerable contribution in training teachers. A review of the literature and empirical research supports the claim that the Socratic Dialogue promotes student teachers' interpersonal sensitivity while stimulating conceptual understanding. The article provides a new definition of the Socratic Dialogue and introduces the idea of common concept formation. A concrete Socratic Dialogue in the context of teacher education is discussed by way of illustration. Finally we suggest a manner of integrating Socratic Dialogue in teacher education and propose a line of further research. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.