Philosophy for Children: Teacher Knowledge and Teacher Development

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching as Philosophical Practice: From Philosophy for Children to Philosophy for Teachers

Abstract

Objectives or purposes

To promote the sound development of Philosophy for Children(P4C) in the world, the presentation investigates the knowledge structure of teachers who are presently teaching P4C or want to engage with philosophical issues in different curriculum areas. It offers a comprehensive model of necessary knowledge for these teachers, based on current research findings of P4C, and thereby prescribes appropriate strategies for their teacher training and development.

Theoretical framework

The proposal draws on the concept of P4C from leading theorists such as Matthew Lipman (1988,2003), Gareth Matthews (1996), Gregory, Haynes and Murris (2017) who consider P4C as a means to explore the relationship between “philosophy” and “childhood”. These authors aim to foster children’s high-order thinking skills by engaging them in thoughtful discussion regarding epistemological, ethical, social and aesthetic issues - thereby making more informed life choices.

Methods and Materials

The proposal employs the methods of philosophy and critical analysis in explicating teacher knowledge and teacher development in Philosophy for Children. By close study and interpretation of classic works of Matthew Lipman and Gareth Matthews, plus review and assessment of the scholarly literature on P4C and P4T from the East and the West, as well as the works of Lee Shulman, Jeffrey M. Choppin and other scholars of teacher knowledge, a comprehensive knowledge model of the philosophy knowledge base for teacher education and professional development is constructed.

Substantiated Conclusions

This proposal presents a comprehensive model of teacher knowledge that can serve as a framework for providing pre- and in-service teachers with an integrated set of understandings and skills of P4C. I argue that if teachers aim to encourage wonderful philosophizing among young students and cultivate their critical, creative,caring and collaborative thinking skills, they need to transform classroom inquiry philosophically by providing the interventions informed by five categories of knowledge, including the disciplinary knowledge of philosophy, the pedagogical knowledge, curricular knowledge, and knowledge on children and the knowledge of educational contexts. For the sake of such teacher development, P4C pedagogical experts, university philosophers, and experienced teachers must work together in the design and delivery of philosophical teacher training programs.

Scholarly Significance

Current debate around the questions of whether teachers should be equipped with subject-matter knowledge of philosophy and/or pedagogical knowledge of the community of inquiry in order to teach philosophy or teach philosophically has lasted for a long time and will be further continued(Murris,2000;Wartenberg,2009;Turgeon,2011). The proposal contributes to such debate by providing for the first time a comprehensive model of knowledge for teachers who are doing or want to do philosophy with children in P4C program or other subject areas , and has significant implications for the development of teachers at both pre-and in-service phases.

Author

• Zhenyu Gao, Hangzhou Normal University