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Abstract

In this paper, we study manifestations of critical thinking in pre-service physical education (PE) teachers when exposed to regular practice of philosophical dialogue among peers. A 12-week research project involving 13 pre-service teachers in PE was conducted. Analysis of two (pre- and post-project) transcripts from pre-service teachers' discussions reveals greater use of higher-order thinking (HOT) skills in the post-project transcript than in the pre-project transcript, and reveals that the nature of their exchanges evolved from monologue to dialogue. The latter transcript reveals some characteristics of critical thinking among participants, which thinking appears to be critical, creative and caring; it also reveals that the participants' thinking was oriented toward social and ethical dimensions.

Listening philosophically: Developing an ear for emergent philosophising

“…Selflessness refers to the listener's ability to withhold their own ideas and prioritise listening to others over speaking (Haynes & Murris 2012). This type of listening fosters both the creation of a 'we' that is more important than an 'I' (Freire 1972) and a pluralistic and caring way of thinking: I care about the other person and what they have to say; I care about understanding their positions, their possible biases, and why they think the way they do (Daniel 2001;Thayer-Bacon 1998;Waksman 1998;Wegerif 2006). This is the point where children's emerging philosophising can be recognised, praised, and further developed by the teachers.…”