Description

By (author) Cam Philip

Short /annotation:
Philosophical Inquiry introduces teachers to a philosophical approach to collaborative inquiry-based teaching and learning.

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Philosophical Inquiry shows how to use the tools of philosophy for educational purposes. It is a practical guide to the philosophical arts of questioning, conceptual exploration and reasoning, with wide application across the school curriculum. It provides educators with an effective means of teaching students to think critically and creatively, to use their knowledge to solve problems, to deal with issues, to explore possibilities and work with ideas. These are the skills and abilities that young people need in order to thrive socially and economically in the world today. Drawing on educational and psychological theory, Philosophical Inquiry emphasizes the use of collaborative learning, through class discussion, working with a partner, and small group work. This approach teaches students to think in socially responsible ways. It means that students become not only thinking individuals but also good team-players, with benefits that extend beyond the classroom and the school to community life and the world of work.

Table of contents:
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: Getting StartedArranging the Classroom and Setting the RulesStructuring a Lesson A Toolkit for ThinkingLearning OutcomesChapter 2: QuestioningQuestion StartersThinking about Response DemandsThe Question QuadrantFactual, Evaluative and Conceptual QuestionsSetting an AgendaUnpacking Problems and QuestionsThe Teacher as Procedural QuestionerThe Characteristics of Philosophical QuestionsConstructing Discussion PlansExercises and ActivitiesChapter 3: Conceptual ExplorationCategorical OperationsComparative OperationsComplex ConceptsClarificationExercises and ActivitiesChapter 4: ReasoningThe Language of ReasoningJustification and InferenceConditional ReasoningDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningNecessary and Sufficient ConditionsContradiction and Logical ImpossibilityAnalyzing and Evaluating ReasoningMapping Arguments in DiscussionExercises and ActivitiesBibliography

Review quote:
Philip Cam is internationally known for his very thoughtful and practical approach to critical inquiry. His latest book does not disappoint – it is beautifully written. Focusing on the three main skills – questioning, explaining and reasoning – he outlines ways in which teachers can develop them, with a lucidity and power that is undeniable. In the activities at the end of each chapter he gives very clear examples which should enable even the barely interested teacher to successfully operationalize the methods. This book is highly recommended for all those interested in moving pedagogy and the curriculum into the 21st century.

Review quote:
Philip Cam has been at the forefront of work in the theory and practice of philosophy in schools for more than three decades. His compelling account of the skills children need to think well and the inquiry-based pedagogy needed to cultivate them finds its most definitive expression to date in this elegant, accessible book. An outstanding introduction to philosophical inquiry in the classroom.

Review quote:
An important contribution to the theory and practice of philosophy in schools and to education more generally. This is one of the best books in the field and will surely become a go-to resource for teachers.

Review quote:
Philosophical inquiry: Combining the Tools of Philosophy with Inquiry-based Teaching and Learning is a gem.It is a delightfully original and incisive contribution to the literature on dialogical pedagogy that seamlessly synthesizes simplicity and sophistication.Replete with lucid explanations about the moves in thinking and practical advice on how to identify and enact them, this bo