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Abstract:

Flemish educators agree that science education both in primary and secondary education should focus on inquiry, reflection and conceptual understanding. Nevertheless, in many science classes answers prevail over questions and too often laboratory investigations simply boil down to cookbook science where students follow a linear path to a known outcome. Teachers agree that eyes- and hands-on-science should evolve to minds-on-activities where students are motivated to question, reflect and explore. P4C can provide an interesting approach to tackle this problem. We developed a P4C-instrument to be used in the primary science class daring students to doubt, think about research strategies and knowledge. In this approach four thinking strategies are embodied by animals: the PhiloFrog stimulates argumentation, the ExploRaffe enhances exploratory activities, the KnowledgeRabbit allows to ponder upon the acquired knowledge and the Doubting Sheep allows to question accepted truths. In this workshop we do different activities illustrating the PhiloZoo-approach, thus turning the science class into a philosophical laboratory. This way, we explore how p4c can contribute to the understanding of scientific concepts, how p4c allows to explore ethical scientific issues and how the philosophical dialogue can facilitate discussion about the nature of science. In this regard, we explore how philosophy can fit into the contemporary curriculum.