Democratie leren door filosoferen. Denken, dialoog en verschil in de basisschool

Philosophy with children seeks i.a. to develop children’s critical thinking, their ability to judge and also aims to enhance their dialogical skills and attitudes and to contribute to their dealing with differences. These are important competencies for a citizen in a democratic society. In this study we explore these aims in four primary schools: which contribution does Philosophy with Children make to the development of democratic skills and attitudes? We have used Goodlad’s curriculum model which was further developed by Van den Akker. In this model, a curriculum is divided into six levels: the underlying view or rationale; manuals and other resources; the interpretation by the teacher; the operationalisation of teachers and children in their classes; the experiences of the children and the results of the curriculum. At each of these levels we have examined Philosophy with Children in relation to democratic education.