Using philosophy for children as a means of fostering high quality learning and teaching: can using a ‘Question Quadrant’ help children at Key Stage 1 ask higher-order questions?

Abstract

Available evidence suggests that philosophy for children (P4C) is a highly effective pedagogy in developing children’s higher-order thinking skills and has significant positive effects both in raising children’s attainment in core subjects and in the broader curriculum. This paper challenges the Piagetian assumption that younger children cannot use abstract higher-order thinking skills and suggests that learning and applying such skills should be central to primary education in the information age. It uses quantitative and qualitative data from my practitioner research using the ‘Question Quadrant’ P4C tool with a class of 6- and 7-year-olds to demonstrate that it is a pedagogy that, although challenging to pupil and teacher, can have demonstrable positive effects on children’s critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinking, even in the short term. It also suggests that more longitudinal research using quantitative methods is urgently required.