ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the relationship between a Socratic approach (questions and a Socratic seminar) and the enjoyment and engagement of students. The study included 378 young people and surveyed their experiences of learning history. The survey compared young peoples’ attitudes towards learning and enjoyment in relation to their perceived classroom performance. Students generally enjoy Socratic methods such as the Socratic seminar and discussion in lessons but are less enthusiastic about probing and extended questioning. Dialogic pedagogy can generate engagement and enjoyment in history, with particular enthusiasm about taking part in advanced classroom discussions. A total of 179 students expressed favourable attitudes towards history, including 22 who regarded history as “fun”. It is not always appropriate to “enjoy” history in the traditional understanding of the term, as the study of history often considers distressing and unpleasant events. The study findings showed that engagement and enjoyment are not associated with children's performance in attainment. This study has shed light on the role that dialogic approaches have in promoting the enjoyment of history. There are implications for policy in pedagogical design as students expressed a need to be supported in developing speaking and listening as tools in learning.
