Publication details
Jak se učitelé učí filozofovat s dětmi
| Title in English | How teachers learn to philosophise with children |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This paper examines the impact of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) course on teachers. In the field of education, we are increasingly seeing the need for teachers to prepare students for life in the 21st century. The Philosophy for Children approach responds to this challenge and its principles give teachers the tools to help their pupils listen to each other, respect each other, ask questions, and think critically about current issues (not only) of our time. The research question was: How do teachers perceive and evaluate their participation in the P4C course and its impact on their professional development? A qualitative research design was chosen as the research approach. An in-depth semi-structured interview was chosen as the research instrument. The research sample consisted of six primary school teachers who attended the above course over one year. Two interviews were conducted with each of them (at the beginning and end of the course). The data collected were analyzed using the open coding method. Based on this analysis, several areas were identified that the teachers considered important in terms of their impact on professional development. In the project, teachers were faced with a range of expectations regarding their students and their development in the areas of communication, cognition, and social skills. At the end of the project, teachers often stated that their expectations had been met due to the new methods and practices they had learned. Teachers particularly appreciated the ability to formulate authentic philosophical questions that encourage pupils’ activity and thinking. They also began to incorporate other elements of P4C, such as ‚thinking in motion’, into their teaching. However, it must be noted that teachers still face the challenge of how to effectively integrate this method into mainstream teaching, which is limited by time and curriculum. Furthermore, the evaluation interviews revealed that the course also brought significant benefits to teachers in terms of strengthening collegial collaboration and support within the school team and beyond |