Empowering Design Thinking: The Role of Socratic AI Feedback in Developing Year 9 Girls’ Agency in Design Education · ICGS Research Library

Title

Empowering Design Thinking: The Role of Socratic AI Feedback in Developing Year 9 Girls’ Agency in Design Education

Author

David Bratton

Year Published

2026

Description

This action research project investigated the impact of automated, non-judgemental feedback on the agency of Year 9 girls within design and technology. To address the fear of failure and design fixation that often impede adolescent girls, I implemented a customised AI architect tool to support the design process and act as a supportive coach. This intervention transformed traditional, prescriptive teacher feedback into a space to receive low-stakes coaching dialogue. As part of a 13-week project at Bromley High School, students conducted an independent audit of the school site to pinpoint localised environmental problems and, in response, designed corresponding architectural solutions. The research followed a mixed-methods approach across three iterative cycles. While I initially provided various expert personas to support students in auditing the school site, recognising suitable locations, and constructing a formal design brief, the most effective feedback was Socratic in nature. By prioritising questioning over solution-giving, the AI encouraged critical thinking and empowered students to justify their own design decisions. An analysis of longitudinal growth in student voice, choice, and ownership, utilising reflection logs, interviews and questionnaires to gather qualitative insights, alongside quantitative data from radar charts. Findings revealed that this Socratic coaching model increased student confidence in independent decision-making. My research demonstrates that Socratic AI serves as a vital sounding board for creative risk-taking, addressing the fear of failure by enabling students to critically evaluate their ideas and reinforce design decisions through enhanced technical awareness. Building on this project, I intend to transform the design classroom into a space where the fear of failure is replaced by a culture of reflective and critical thinking across all age groups. I will implement Socratic feedback further by becoming a facilitator who encourages students to recognise and apply their own knowledge rather than providing the answers myself. For older students, AI assistants will serve as a vital sounding board, providing a dedicated space for Socratic learning and critical reflection that empowers them to validate their own ideas.