Think Again A Philosophical Approach to Teaching

Contemporary education is held captive by an obsession with assessment. The culture of 'teaching-to-the-test' and 'spoon-feeding' has distorted the purpose of teaching and destroyed the joy of free enquiry. This book offers practical advice on how to use philosophy as the cornerstone of a new approach to teaching and learning, with the central aim of developing students' capacity for deeper, freer thought. Drawing on his experience of innovative curriculum development work, the author explains how philosophical questions provide an excellent vehicle for engaging students and drawing them into analytical, creative and independent ways of thinking. Think Again provides: • activities for encouraging critical and creative thinking, • examples of 'entry points' for integrating philosophy in a formal curriculum; and • practical guidance on using philosophy to enliven learning in a range of subjects. The author emphasizes the significant opportunity that project work provides for enabling students to develop their research and analytical skills, and suggests how the 13+ curriculum could be developed to bring a philosophical dimension to learning in all subject areas.