ChatGPT as a tool for honing teachers' Socratic dialogue skills

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2401.11987
• Publication Date: 2024-04-26
• Authors: Bor Gregorcic; Giulia Polverini; Andreja Sarlah
• Keywords: ChatGPT; Socratic dialogue; poučevanje fizike; Other Physics Topics; Physics Education (physics.ed-ph); sokratski dialog; Physics - Physics Education; FOS: Physical sciences; Annan fysik; physics education; info:eu-repo/classification/udc/37.091.3:53

Abstract In this proof-of-concept paper, we propose a specific kind of pedagogical use of ChatGPT—to help teachers practice their Socratic dialogue skills. We follow up on the previously published paper ‘ChatGPT and the frustrated Socrates’ by re-examining ChatGPT’s ability to engage in Socratic dialogue in the role of a physics student. While in late 2022 its ability to engage in such dialogue was poor, we see significant advancements in the chatbot’s ability to respond to leading questions asked by a human teacher. We suggest that ChatGPT now has the potential to be used in teacher training to help pre- or in-service physics teachers hone their Socratic dialogue skills. In the paper and its supplemental material, we provide illustrative examples of Socratic dialogues with ChatGPT and present a report on a pilot activity involving pre-service physics and mathematics teachers conversing with it in a Socratic fashion.