Philosophy for Children in Religious Education (P4C): Possibilities and Limitations

Abstract

Philosophy for children is the application of a philosophical approach to education in order to train students who develop reasoning and judgment skills. The main purpose of this approach is to stimulate philosophical research through group discussion and questioning. This approach also aims to provide students with skills in which they question and deepen their own and other students' questions, ideas. Religious education applications are expected to facilitate students to internalize their understanding, values and beliefs. It is impossible to say that the transfer-based approach provides these gains. Philosophy for children is a dialogue-based application based on student participation. It is expected that this application, in which structured texts are used as facilitators, will make important contributions to the understanding, substantiation and internalization of abstract religious concepts and beliefs, in particular. Taking advantage of the creative, critical, attentive and collaborative understanding of philosophy for children in religious education can make various contributions to religious education, especially in terms of developing religious reasoning skills. This study has been prepared in order to address the possible contributions of these principles and practices of the philosophy approach to religious education for children. In this context, after the P4C approach is introduced, its contributions to religious education and possible limitations will be discussed.