Within this section, three voices are heard: my practitioner voice, the teachers’ voices and my researcher’s voice.
My practitioner voice:
An example of ontological, epistemological and technical (techné) schema An example of how world events can cause trauma came with my Year 9 Special Education class of 21 students, when the Twin Towers were blown up. Students had arrived two minutes before me and were screaming at each other about who to blame for such a calamity. I established immediately that we were each going to take part in a class assignment regarding the questions surrounding the event. We went immediately into Community of Inquiry mode: listing as many questions as we could manage. This was followed by discussions about how to research, taking account of every subject discipline in their school curriculum.
Individual students researched the weight and type of planes used (maths); the amount of fuel carried by each plane (business studies); Art work, such as painting and papier maché; Indian Ink drawings (Art Design and Appreciation); researchers finding out the beliefs of Islam and Christianity particularly where each religion agreed on internal principles (Religion and Values Education); several essays (English and English Literature); a short play; some poetry (Drama); collages on themes like grief, war and its aftermath (Cultural Studies); a CD with a rapper song composed by one student (Music Studies); papier-maché replicas of the type of plane used (Technical Design and Drawing); reports based on collections of newspaper headlines (current affairs and English studies); maps of countries involved because of the terrorists apparent background (Geography); in all, we chose 20 possible assignments and to pass the semester’s requirements, we agreed that each person must complete 10 assignments.
I encouraged students to work together in small teams and to make good use of their subject teachers’ knowledge as well as the facilities in the Library and IT laboratories. We did our evaluation by allowing each person to display and present their personal work. Invitations were issued for significant others internally and externally to attend the presentations, and some work ended up on display in the Library, and in various other special locations around the college. Those students of various world faiths, nations and cultures ended up, in their own words, comfortable and more understanding of a lot of people and a lot of things at semester’s end; so did their Special Education teacher!
TABLE 4.27 TEACHING THE CONCEPTS OF CONSENSUS AND DEMOCRACY
(Do Not Teach = teachers did not specifically teach processes of consensus and democracy; Teach Meaning = teachers did teach the meaning of consensus and democracy; Teach Meaning & Process of Concepts = teachers teach both the meaning and the active process of the concepts of consensus and democracy; No detail = teachers did not specify any details about this matter.)
Teachers’ voices
Teachers were requested to explain whether they taught explicitly the concepts of consensus and democracy or perhaps used one or both in classroom strategies as a means of applying thinking skills.
Consensus and democracy (quantitative)
The data contained in Table 4.27 refer to the responses of 33 teachers. Nine teachers did not teach either of the two concepts at all though the responses to other questions made it clear that they modelled both concepts in differing ways in day-to-day classroom strategies. Four teachers teach the meaning of both concepts but not the process of either concept. Ten teachers teach the meaning and the process of the two concepts of consensus and democracy. Ten teachers gave no details to this question. The suggestion is that two- thirds of the teachers in the survey engage in active teaching of consensus and democracy in their classes.
Consensus and democracy (qualitative)
I identified two themes that emerged from the responses: establishing a Community of Inquiry and applying the principles of Philosophy for Children. These data are summarised in Table 4.28.
TABLE 4.28 TEACHING CONSENSUS AND DEMOCRACY
COMMENT CONSTRUCT CONCEPT THEME
Paul: I don’t expect my own behaviour to be any different from that of the students. I explain my reasons and expect questions from students.
I don’t expect my own behaviour to be any different from that of the students
Explanations given; questions expected. Community of Inquiry
Hyacinth: I don’t teach either overtly, but it is part of the Community of Inquiry approach. I teach these principles in all teaching.
I don’t teach either [of these] overtly.
Implicit principles are
to be applied in all teaching. Jane: I am thinking of a Year 9 classroom and I
think I perhaps teach the meaning of the words without being aware that I do it. Sometimes class decisions require consensus for the activity to go ahead. At other times I encourage students’ right to be individual in their opinion and to be respected for this.
Class decisions may require consensus; students’ right to be individuals is preserved. No dichotomy between the two: consensus and democracy. Rose says: I tend not to state my own position,
certainly not at the beginning of any topic. As stated previously I tend to play devil’s advocate throwing up what ifs and have you thought about … If asked, I will state my view and reasons for it. Always adding that there is no right or wrong regarding many of the issues we tackle in Biology.
There is no right or wrong regarding many of the issues we tackle in biology. Views expressed; positions encouraged; tolerance of disparate views. Matthew (Australian expert): As already
indicated, I am new to teaching thinking skills and as such I am yet to develop strategies that promote decision making skills which lead from efficient thinking skills. Suffice to say that good thinking skills are foundational to good decision making.
Good thinking skills are foundational to good decision making Good thinking requires efficient thinking skills Philosophy for Children
Clint (NZ expert): Teaching decision-making is still missing the point – the aim is to have students who engage in reflective decision making as part of everyday life. Creating a culture in the classroom which encourages and expects reflective decision making is essential. Philosophy for Children is the best way I know to do this.
The aim is to have students who engage in reflective decision making as part of everyday life. Reflective decision making is essential
Roger (UK expert): Oh dear! I’m not very happy about this link at all. Talk of decision-making skills reminds me too much of the less attractive side of de Bono’s work, in which he supposes that wise decisions can be made by applying routine, mechanical techniques. Most of these are at best applicable to machines and decisions about objects; they hardly begin to develop the necessary subtle, comprehensive and intuitive thoughts and feelings that go towards truly wise decision-making. In the end, the challenge is to develop good judgment, and this is a lifetime challenge best met by cultivating various dispositions, such as sincerity, openness, curiosity, reflectiveness, accuracy, tenacity, empathy, sense of humour/ proportion, etc. In my view, already articulated, these are best developed through repeated exposure to the practice of philosophical inquiry and reflection.
Need to develop the necessary subtle, comprehensive and intuitive thoughts and feelings that go towards truly wise decision-making. Requires philosophical inquiry and reflection. Philosophy for Children
My researcher voice
Two major themes emerged: developing a Community of Inquiry and applying a set of key concepts using the Philosophy for Children curriculum. A Community of Inquiry develops the following concepts: the teacher gives explanations and these are followed by questions from students; the implicit principles of consensus and democracy are to be applied in all teaching; there need not be a dichotomy between the two constructs: it is consensus and democracy; and views can be expressed, positions encouraged and disparate views tolerated. The key concepts in Philosophy for Children that specifically encourage consensus and democracy are as follows: good thinking requires efficient thinking skills; reflective decision-making is an essential component; this reflection requires the inquiry and reflection encouraged by the application of philosophy. Thus, Philosophy for Children, which encourages the development of a Community of Inquiry directly, supports seeking consensus and developing democracy as an integrated, holistic outcome.