Date of Award

12-2025

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

Psychology

Committee Chair

Emily DeFouw

Committee Chair School

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Joe Olmi

Committee Member 2 School

Psychology

Committee Member 3

Kourtney Kromminga

Committee Member 3 School

Psychology

Abstract

Socratic Seminar is a discussion-based instructional strategy that aims to improve students’ critical thinking and reading comprehension skills. This strategy supports comprehension by encouraging students to answer textual-based questions with textual evidence and engage in providing multiple perspectives with their peers. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of Socratic Seminars as a Tier 1 intervention across three general education ELA blocks for students at-risk for reading comprehension concerns. Target participants scoring below benchmark in reading comprehension were measured using Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBM) MAZE Probes were identified. Upon the implementation of Socratic Seminars, all target students’ reading comprehension scores increased from their baseline score. 5 out 6 of the target students' MAZE average scores increased at or above grade level for the end of the year benchmark. In addition to academic gains, social validity data showed that the target students and their teacher viewed the intervention as acceptable and beneficial. Implications for applied practice and research are discussed. Limitations of this study are also offered.

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