Title mentioned in article in Sapere
'A pervasive environment of terror surrounding high stakes public exams has always made the secondary classroom a tough pitch for P4C enthusiasts. Drawing on the insights of subject specialists, this book nails the myth that there is a necessary contradiction between high-level performance in curriculum-centred domains of knowledge and the transferable skills, virtues and dispositions that are nurtured through P4C. In so doing, the contributors demonstrate that P4C has an invaluable role to play in showing curriculum subjects at their very best- as locations for the joy, mystery, discovery and, in Martha Graham's resonant phrase, 'divine dissatisfaction' that meaningful engagement in any domain can lead to. Whilst Bruner's claim that 'coverage is the enemy of understanding' has yet to be refuted, this text makes a complementary claim - that understanding is the friend of true enquiry.' Barry Hymer, Professor of Psychology in Education, Faculty of Education, University of Cumbria, UK
Whatever we teach, we need teach youngsters how to question the way the world works. This book gives teachers in every subject discipline the background, the approach and some examples. It bridges that gap between good ideas and learning theory. Enjoy thinking about what it means for your teaching approach. -- Mick Waters, Professor of Education, Wolverhampton University, UK
One of the excuses often given for not teaching philosophy in schools is that there is no space for it in an already overcrowded curriculum. This book brilliantly demonstrates how every discipline in the national curriculum can be taught philosophically, using the methods of P4C. Each discipline has its own chapter, filled with detailed examples of how the methods can be applied. The result is not merely that philosophy finds its place, but that teaching methods will be dramatically improved across the board. -- George MacDonald Ross, Visiting Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Leeds, UK
I recommend these materials for use in schools and welcome the commitment of the authors to requiring teachers to have some dedicated training in philosophy. The introduction and the first two chapters of the book root the practice of P4C in its philosophical grounds, and the materials lend themselves to developing what the authors call 'deliberate philosophising'. In particular their stress on building communities of practice is important. Currently schools are under pressure to focus on building individual children's core skills, which are assessed and reported. The dialogical 'skills' that these materials foster support the development of dispositions that are essential for children's integration into a wider social world, and for their own individual well-being. In this, the ability 'to think for themselves about values and the ends of life' is key. The individual subject chapters are thoughtful and informed and should prove useful and reliable for use in the classroom. -- Ruth Heilbronn, Lecturer in Education, Institute of Education, University of London, UK
