Socratic Method of Questioning: The Effect on Improving Students' Understanding and Application of Chemical Kinetics Concepts

Abstract

Students in Ethiopian secondary schools frequently encounter persistent difficulties in understanding complex chemistry concepts such as chemical kinetics, largely due to the prevalence of teacher-centered, lecture-based instructional approaches. This study examined the effectiveness of Socratic questioning as a pedagogical strategy to enhance Grade 11 students’ conceptual understanding of chemical kinetics in non-governmental secondary schools in Addis Ababa. Anchored in a constructivist epistemology and employing a pragmatic, mixed-methods design, the research integrated quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design with qualitative interviews and classroom observations. Quantitative data from 100 students (50 in the experimental group and 50 in the control group) were analyzed using ANOVA and ANCOVA. While the pre-test scores showed a modest but statistically significant difference favoring the experimental group, ANCOVA results revealed a substantial post-test performance advantage for students taught through Socratic questioning (M = 78.6, SD = 6.34) over those in the control group (M = 52.3, SD = 5.46), F(1, 97) = 489.12, p < .001, with a large effect size (η² = 0.83). This indicates that Socratic questioning accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in post-test outcomes, confirming its powerful impact on students’ conceptual learning. Qualitative findings from semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively selected students and classroom observations supported the quantitative results. Four core themes emerged: (1) Enhanced understanding of chemical kinetics, where students described a shift from rote memorization to active conceptual reasoning; (2) Increased engagement and participation, with classrooms becoming interactive, inclusive, and dialogic; (3) Improvement in critical thinking skills, as students demonstrated deeper analysis, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities; and (4) Empowerment and confidence, with students reporting greater academic self-efficacy, reduced fear of failure, and increased willingness to engage in learning activities. While the study demonstrates clear instructional benefits within the specific context of a four-week unit in a limited sample, its findings offer important insights into how dialogic, inquiry-driven instruction can address persistent pedagogical challenges in Ethiopian science education. It recommends integrating this approach into secondary school science classrooms while encouraging further research across varied educational settings, subjects, and longer intervention periods to explore its broader applicability and sustained impact.