Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills
IntroductionThis study investigates the perceptual differences between ChatGPT and human tutors in fostering critical thinking among students, highlighting the effectiveness of Socratic tutoring methodologies in modern educational contexts.MethodsConducted with a sample of 230 university students in...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1528603/full |
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| author | Hoda Fakour Moslem Imani |
| author_facet | Hoda Fakour Moslem Imani |
| author_sort | Hoda Fakour |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThis study investigates the perceptual differences between ChatGPT and human tutors in fostering critical thinking among students, highlighting the effectiveness of Socratic tutoring methodologies in modern educational contexts.MethodsConducted with a sample of 230 university students in Taiwan, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.Results and discussionResults reveal that while a significant portion of students appreciates the benefits of ChatGPT—namely its non-judgmental nature and accessibility—human tutors are acknowledged for their capability to provide tailored feedback and emotional support. Through threshold analysis conducted via a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model, the study identified key features affecting student preferences, emphasizing the need for a balanced integration of AI and human tutoring methods. Findings underscore the importance of developing hybrid educational models that leverage both the strengths of human facilitators and the efficiencies of AI tools to enhance student learning and critical thinking skills. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-521df05f91dd4cc2807c50b36072f3c3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-521df05f91dd4cc2807c50b36072f3c32025-01-22T07:14:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-01-011010.3389/feduc.2025.15286031528603Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skillsHoda Fakour0Moslem Imani1Graduate Institute of Sustainability Management and Environmental Education, College of Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanIntroductionThis study investigates the perceptual differences between ChatGPT and human tutors in fostering critical thinking among students, highlighting the effectiveness of Socratic tutoring methodologies in modern educational contexts.MethodsConducted with a sample of 230 university students in Taiwan, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.Results and discussionResults reveal that while a significant portion of students appreciates the benefits of ChatGPT—namely its non-judgmental nature and accessibility—human tutors are acknowledged for their capability to provide tailored feedback and emotional support. Through threshold analysis conducted via a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model, the study identified key features affecting student preferences, emphasizing the need for a balanced integration of AI and human tutoring methods. Findings underscore the importance of developing hybrid educational models that leverage both the strengths of human facilitators and the efficiencies of AI tools to enhance student learning and critical thinking skills.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1528603/fullSocratic tutoringcritical thinkingChatGPThuman tutorspedagogical strategies |
| spellingShingle | Hoda Fakour Moslem Imani Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills Frontiers in Education Socratic tutoring critical thinking ChatGPT human tutors pedagogical strategies |
| title | Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| title_full | Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| title_fullStr | Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| title_full_unstemmed | Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| title_short | Socratic wisdom in the age of AI: a comparative study of ChatGPT and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| title_sort | socratic wisdom in the age of ai a comparative study of chatgpt and human tutors in enhancing critical thinking skills |
| topic | Socratic tutoring critical thinking ChatGPT human tutors pedagogical strategies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1528603/full |
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