Developing children's critical thinking skills of text processing with philosophy for children

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the contribution of the text processing process organized according to the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach to the critical thinking skills of third-grade primary school students within the scope of Turkish language lessons. This action research was conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year with a class of 26 students (13 girls and 13 boys) attending the third grade in a state school in Burdur, Turkey. The researcher, who has been the class teacher for three years, is also the person implementing and conducting the research. Prior to the actual implementation, the researcher conducted a pilot application with another third-grade class for two class hours, identifying and addressing some issues related to the loss of audio recordings and the programs used for transcribing these recordings. The action plan was implemented for ten weeks, with two class hours per week. Qualitative data collection tools used in the research include student journals, teacher (researcher) journals, semi-structured interview form, lesson plans prepared in accordance with P4C principles, an expert evaluation form for the assessment of lesson plans, evaluation writings of students during the assessment phase, and audio recordings. Descriptive analysis was employed for data analysis, and the analysis process was carried out simultaneously with data collection. To ensure the consistency corresponding to the concept of internal reliability, a systematic and detailed expression method was adopted in transferring the findings from the audio recordings. Detailed description was also chosen to ensure transferability. Direct and detailed quotations from audio recordings, student journals, and the interview form were used to enhance the external validity of the research. Looking at the results obtained from the research, it is concluded that lesson plans prepared according to the Philosophy for Children approach contribute to students' questioning, in-depth examination and understanding of the text, and attentive listening skills, ultimately enhancing critical thinking skills. During the first four weeks, the questions from participants were more superficial, resembling classical text questions (5W1H), easily answerable from the text. However, from the fifth week onwards, a clear increase in the number of open-ended critical questions was observed. As P4C sessions progressed, the development of a 'spontaneously progressing dialogue environment' was observed. Participants' confidence in expressing their thoughts has also been seen to develop. Participants expressed enjoyment in all activities that allowed them to be more active and deviate from the traditional text processing. In future studies aimed at developing critical thinking, various methods and techniques can be employed. P4C can be applied in different subjects and classes. The Philosophy for Children approach can be beneficial in developing problem-solving, creative, and reflective thinking skills in children.