questioning techniques in a philosophical group-discussion scaffolding estonian preschoolers critical thinking and reasoning

Résumé

In a fast-changing and evolving world, we need more and more flexible and critical thinkers. Critical thinking is a cornerstone of education and a necessity for all human activity. One of the growing problems in an increasingly digital society is the constant loss of dialogue and reflective discussion in the learning process. In pedagogical practice, critical thinking is effectively exercised through discussion and questioning. Philosophical discussion with the support of the Philosophy for Children programme is a good way to support pre-school children's critical thinking and reasoning skills. The aim of this follow-up qualitative study was to describe different questioning techniques during group-discussion utilising the Philosophy for Children programme in order to scaffold Estonian preschoolers' reasoning. The data was collected during an 8-month period through philosophical group-discussions engaged five- to six-years-old children with 20 observations from five groups (N=58). Transcripts from group-discussions were analysed using qualitative analysis. The findings indicated that the functions of a discussion leader´s open- and closed-ended questions varied depending on the children´s responses and behavior. Eight functions for open-ended questions and five functions with five parallel functions for closed-ended questions are described. Some closed-ended questions can support higher-level thinking in cases where they prompt children to compare, hesitate, or explain. A model for asking questions in group discussions was prepared, providing guidelines for asking questions in a purposeful manner, based on the function of the previous question and the child's answer. The informed understanding of questioning techniques is useful to identify how kindergarten teachers can scaffold children during group-discussions.