Philosophy with Children, the Stingray and the Educative Value of Disequilibrium

Abstract

Philosophy with children (P4C)1 presents significant positive challenges for educators. Its ‘community of enquiry’ pedagogy assumes not only an epistemological shift in the role of the educator, but also a different ontology of ‘child’ and balance of power between educator and learner. After a brief historical sketch and an outline of the diversity among P4C practitioners, epistemological uncertainty in teaching P4C is crystallised in a succinct overview of theoretical and practical tensions that are a direct result of the implementation of P4C in mainstream education. These recurring pedagogical tensions in my practice as P4C teacher, teacher educator and mentor of teacher educators cause disequilibrium that opens up rich opportunities for philosophy of education in supporting novice P4Cers. Disequilibrium is a positive force that opens up a space in which educators need to reflect upon their values, their beliefs about learning and teaching, and ultimately encourages educators to rethink their own role. Plato's metaphor of the stingray highlights the role of the P4C teacher educator as model of the P4C teacher in any setting: ‘to numb and to be numbed’. The P4C community and its institutions need to address the questions arising from these pedagogical tensions; and this needs to be done with integrity, that is, in communities of enquiry that include children. If not, in the long term, a more instrumental version of P4C may prevail.

Why philosophical ethics in school: implications for education in technology and in general

“…4 The idea that school ought to educate students into being good citizens can be found in the writings of Dewey (1897) and Lipman (2003), among other philosophers of education. These interpretations are supported by others, such as Dill (2007), Riley and Welchman (2003), and Murris (2008). Moreover, Althof and Berkowitz (2006, 495) claim that '[a]ny democratic society must concern itself with the socialization of its citizens.'…”

Philosophy for Teachers (P4T) – developing new teachers’ applied ethical decision-making

“…Certainly the considerable experience and expertise of the facilitator was recognised as key to the success of the P4T workshops. As Murris (2008) has argued, for a community of enquiry to be capable of continuously renewing, transforming or diverging practice, it must be able to respond to the thoughts of its members in ways that are 'genuinely open-ended, critical and self-reflective. This requires a facilitator who must actively seek opportunities to be 'perplexed, numbed and open to change through reflection and self-reflection' (671).…”

The Provocation of an Epistemological Shift in Teacher Education through Philosophy with Children

“…One's answers to the philosophical questions ‘Who has authority to speak?’ or ‘What is “child”?’ alter what counts as valuable in education. Naturally, teachers bring their epistemological and metaphysical assumptions to their practice, and the pedagogy of PwC gives rise to ‘critical moments’ of uncertainty, and therefore insecurity, in the facilitation role (Haynes, 2005, 2008; Haynes and Murris, 2009; Murris, 2009b), which provokes a positive re‐thinking of one's role as educator in teaching and learning.…”

“…What PwC offers here is the experience of how the Socratic facilitator is like a stingray that numbs not only others but also itself. If a teacher allows herself to be as perplexed as the learner, a space is opened up in which the role of the teacher is that of a co‐enquirer and co‐researcher (Murris, 2009b).…”