The Potential for Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities to Enhance Pupil Project/Topic Work

Abstract

This paper seeks to highlight the potential benefits and drawbacks of the introduction of the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Framework into the Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007), specifically as a tool to enhance pupil project and topic work. Consideration of research combined with first hand experience in Northern Irish Primary classrooms led the writer to conclude that an ‘infusion’ approach of teaching both subject knowledge and critical thinking simultaneously has the most potential to enhance primary pupils’ learning experiences.