Philosophy is also for children.
As teachers, we draw on our past experiences and particular expertise to guide our students’ learning. As a philosopher, I naturally draw on my philosophy training to reflect on issues and concepts discussed in my classroom. I believe there is merit in teachers learning more about how to use the tools of philosophy to encourage higher-order thinking in the classroom. Hundreds of teachers have benefited from workshops by the Philosophy in Schools Association NSW on incorporating philosophical thinking into their teaching.
Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a student-centred approach to learning and teaching, in which teachers become facilitators as children practice thinking philosophically. The curriculum behooves us all to assist students to develop critical and creative thinking skills, and P4C practitioners use the tools and methods of philosophy to encourage students to think broadly and deeply. Philosophical thinking includes explicit instruction in ‘metacognition’ – that is, encouraging students to understand their own learning or thinking processes. Philip Cam’s 20 Thinking Tools introduces teachers to using philosophy in the classroom and provides an easy-to-follow guide to the tools that help students examine issues and explore ideas.
This example illustrates how teaching philosophy in schools can work in practice.
While on maternity leave, I initiated an after-school French club for kindy students at my local public school (Years K–2). As a French teacher, I am motivated to promote foreign language learning to young students and to use the methods of philosophical inquiry to structure their learning experiences. I regularly use these methods with my secondary school French students to harness their critical and creative thinking. Inquiry methods have been shown to be useful in teaching other KLAs (key learning areas), although there is little evidence about its use in teaching language. So I’m pleased to provide some growing evidence of this approach – even with very young learners.
To find out what my young learners knew about the French language, I used the oppositional drawing task from Phil Cam’s Philosophy with young children – a classroom handbook. Students were asked to draw an image of something ‘French’ and something ‘not French’. This exercise encouraged students to engage with at least two types of thinking: giving examples and providing reasons. Some students found it difficult to draw something French because they hadn’t yet begun learning – and, in this case, the five-year-olds had little, if any, knowledge of the French language or culture. However, they were able to draw things they knew for certain were notFrench, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park. Students were able to demonstrate their knowledge of Australian iconic attractions, which opened up discussion: Do other countries have famous places? What famous places are in France? Students discussed whether suggestions – such as watching TV, apple trees, the colour blue – were French or Australian.
The task was deceptively simple, but the ensuing discussion helped to challenge students’ assumptions and open their minds to the possibility that French people and Australians share similarities, although we use different words to describe those experiences. For language teachers who rely on the national K–10 syllabus, I’ve linked this activity to the following two MBC (Moving Between Cultures) learning outcomes for Stage 1:
- MBC.1 – A student demonstrates awareness of cultural diversity: Students learn about visible representations of cultural identity.
- MBC.2 – A student identifies cultural practices in French-speaking communities: Students learn about similarities and differences between local communities’ lifestyles and those of French-speaking communities.
Students were thinking philosophically (thinking critically) when they practiced giving examples and providing reasons. Critical thinking can be explicitly taught and guided while the topic and content of the discussion relate directly to the content outcomes. In this way, philosophical thinking and methods can be used to enact the existing curriculum in a robust manner. In fact, a dual focus on metacognition and KLA content arguably promotes student engagement in the material.
This simple but effective oppositional task can be used for any KLA and any age, including as a formative assessment task within any unit of work. For example, I’ve used it with my Year 10 philosophy students to find out their thoughts on the concept ‘utopia’. And prior to that I successfully used this task a reflection on learning at the end of a thematic Year 8 English unit on ‘heroes’.
Philosophical thinking tools can be used at any stage of the learning process, and these tools are available to everyone. Teachers in New South Wales have actively sought training in philosophical inquiry and are successfully using philosophical thinking in their classrooms. For more information on NESA-accredited philosophy training for teachers, visit the Philosophy in Schools Association NSW website. Join us.
About Dr Britta Jensen:
Dr Britta Jensen is a linguist, a philosopher and an educator with experience teaching at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. She has expertise in philosophy of language, syntax, linguistics, logic and language acquisition.
Jensen’s career as a language teacher began at the age of 16, teaching Danish – her family language – to English-speaking young people in the United States. She then went on to teaching languages at Concordia Languages Villages, Minnesota, United States, for 10 years during the summer break while studying philosophy and linguistics at university.
Jensen’s doctorate was conferred by the University of Oxford in 2003, and she graduated with a Graduate Diploma of Education from Macquarie University in 2013.
Jensen has worked in cognitive science, linguistics and education in Australia, initially working as a Research Fellow at the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science (2006-2008). Since obtaining her teaching qualification from Macquarie in 2013, she has worked in secondary schools (Catholic, public and independent) in Sydney teaching English, French and, more recently, philosophy.
A nationally accredited trainer in P4C methodology, she is also an editor for the Journal of Philosophy in Schools. In 2018, she was elected president of the Philosophy in Schools Association NSW.