Which instructional strategy helps to stimulate higher-level thinking?

Socratic questioning is an instructional strategy that fosters higher-level thinking by encouraging students to engage in critical thinking and introspection through dialogue. This method involves asking a series of open-ended questions that promote exploration, analysis, and synthesis of ideas, rather than simply recalling facts or passively absorbing information.

By participating in Socratic questioning, learners are pushed to consider different perspectives, evaluate the evidence for their beliefs, and articulate underlying assumptions. This approach not only deepens understanding but also enhances skills such as reasoning, debate, and reflective thinking, which are essential for tackling complex concepts and real-world problems.

In contrast, other strategies like direct instruction, group assignments, and lecture-based presentations tend to focus more on content delivery or collaborative work rather than directly challenging students to critically analyze and evaluate ideas. While these methods may have their own merits in specific contexts, they typically do not engage students in the same depth of inquiry as Socratic questioning does.