Abstract:
One of the most important activities in the field of intellectual skills training is the philosophy program for children. Education experts believe that philosophical mindset in children is formed through stories. The present study aimed to examine and analyze intellectual stories for Iranian children, based on Lippmann's theory of philosophical thinking. The criterion considered for comparison in this study was the components of philosophical thinking from Lippmann's perspective, which were divided into three main dimensions of critical, creative, and caring thinking. Using the method of deductive content analysis, the components of philosophical thinking were identified and analyzed in two selected stories from intellectual stories for Iranian children. The research findings showed that both stories, because they contain components in the context of various dimensions of philosophical thinking, serve as a rich source to help develop creative, critical, and caring thinking in children. However, due to their suggestive and instructive structure derived from classical literature, they require revision and strengthening of the challenging aspect for optimal use in the P4C program.
Keywords:
components of philosophical thinking, dialogie, intellectual story, Lippmann, philosophy for children.
Introduction:
In today's complex and changing world, fostering thinking in children and adolescents is increasingly important. The "Philosophy for Children" (P4C) program is one of the educational programs designed by focusing on all dimensions of thinking. Lipman, as the founder of this program, and his followers believe that children are capable of abstract thinking from the age of three. Philosophical stories are the most important educational resources in this program. Since Lipman believed that the story is the best tool for engaging children in discussion, he wrote books for children. Iranian researchers have also created books based on the needs and local culture of children. This article analyzes two stories, "The Old Thorn Gatherer" and "The Fox and the Lion" from the fifth volume of "Intellectual Stories for Iranian Children" within the framework of Lipman's theory.
Materials and Methods:
The present research is qualitative. The data collection method was documentary. The document analyzed was the book "Intellectual Stories for Iranian Children", Volume 5, for children aged 8-14 years. Two stories from this collection were selected for analysis using purposive sampling. The data analysis method was deductive content analysis based on pre-established categories extracted from Lipman's theory on the components of philosophical thinking.
Discussion and Results:
The research findings showed that both stories, because they contain components in the context of various dimensions of philosophical thinking (critical, creative, and caring), serve as a rich source to help develop these types of thinking in children. In the story "The Old Thorn Gatherer," creative thinking and then critical thinking were most frequent. In the story "The Fox and the Lion," caring thinking was richer compared to critical and creative thinking, with emotional and value-based components playing a more prominent role. However, a content analysis from the perspective of P4C's fundamental principles revealed shortcomings. The most important criticism returns to the prescriptive and instructive nature of these stories, derived from classical literature, which invites the reader to accept a pre-determined truth rather than engaging in "inquiry" and "communal research."
Conclusion:
Although both analyzed stories contain Lipman's three components of philosophical thinking, for optimal use in the P4C program, they require revision to strengthen their challenging and dialogic aspects. The philosophical "content" exists in these stories, but the philosophical "method" is not present within them. Simply adding questions and exercises at the end of the story cannot compensate for the weakness of the prescriptive narrative structure. Suggestions for revision and further research are provided.