Socratic Method: A Student‐Centered Approach to Teaching Statistics

ABSTRACT Introductory statistics courses for first‐year undergraduate students can convey a positive or negative attitude toward the subject. In a traditional teacher‐centered classroom setting, students often learn statistical concepts without being able to relate what they learn to the real world. This makes statistics seem more daunting, confusing, and hard than useful. In this article, the author describes an active methodology that uses Socrates' instruction‐through‐questioning approach in teaching statistics. Students actively engage in dialogue about a real‐life issue in a challenging and thought‐provoking learning environment that allows students to experience statistics as a process of logical discovery. Using Socrates' dialogue approach as a core form of teaching statistics fosters interest in the subject, boosts retention of the acquired analytical skills, and promotes life‐long learning. The author elucidates what inspired her to redesign her introductory statistics course, illustrates the course structure, and pinpoints some of the constraints on scaling this reform.