Richard Pallascio

Modeling the development process of dialogical critical thinking in pupils aged 10 to 12 years

This research project investigated manifestations of critical thinking in pupils 10 to 12 years of age during their group discussions held in the context of Philosophy for Children Adapted to Mathematics. The objective of the research project was to examine, through the pupils’ discussions, the development of dialogical critical thinking processes. The research was conducted during an entire school year. The research method was based on the Grounded Theory approach; the material used consisted of transcripts of verbal exchanges among the pupils (at the beginning, middle and end of the school year). Analysis of the transcripts revealed that: (1) critical thinking appears to the extent that a ‘dia-logue’ is established among pupils; (2) on the cognitive level, dialogical critical thinking is comprised of four thinking modes: logical, creative, responsible and meta-cognitive; and (3) on the epistemological level, dialogical critical thinking is only manifested in a context where egocentricity of perspective and relativism of beliefs are transcended.

Philosophical Reflection and Cooperative Practices in an Elementary School Mathematics Classroom

Following Matthew Lipman (Lipman, 1991; Lipman, Sharp, & Oscanyan, 1980), we introduced philosophical dialogue (PD) about mathematics in an elementary school to help pupils consider mathematical and meta-mathematical matters. This article describes the social and cognitive activity when pupils engage in PD and some pedagogical conditions necessary to foster the development of PD. Changes in pupils’ discussions from the begin- ning to the end of the test period showed that the dynamic evolved from monological exchanges to dialogical exchanges. Whereas early pupil responses could be characterized mainly as simple answers, later responses displayed more lower-order and even higher- order thinking skills. The data suggest that for PD about mathematics to develop, the teacher must be proficient in the role of mediator. A la suite de Matthew Lipman (Lipman, 1991; Lipman, Sharp et Oscanyan, 1980), les auteurs ont introduit le dialogue philosophique (DP) dans une ecole primaire afin d’aider les eleves a reflechir aux questions d’ordre mathematique et meta-mathematique. Cet article decrit l’activite sociale et cognitive a laquelle donne lieu le DP ainsi que certaines des conditions pedagogiques qui doivent etre reunies pour favoriser le developpement du DP. L’analyse des discussions des eleves du debut a la fin de la periode d’essai a revele une evolution de la dynamique, des echanges monologiques aux echanges dialogiques . Si en premier les eleves donnent de simples reponses, par la suite ils demontrent des capa- cites de raisonnement elementaires et meme de plus haut niveau. Ces donnees semblent indiquer que pour que le DP au sujet de la mathematique se developpe, l’enseignant doit devenir un mediateur efficace.