This paper analyzes how philosophy enters into inquiry in teacher education, in writings by both philosophers and nonphilosophers. Examples illustrate philosophical activities (such as conceptual and logical analysis, positing and explaining distinctions, evoking shared ideas and values), as well as showing that philosophy plays an important part…

Despite the current emphasis on thinking skills and the resulting concentration on lists and taxonomies that do not succeed beyond research contexts, all reflective people know that critical thought relies not on applying mental steps but on simply trying to figure out what might be right or wrong. This depends on one basic cognitive act,…

Discusses critical thinking as the process of moving fluently among abstraction levels. Defines three components involved in fluency of movement: (1) knowledge, or an awareness of the existence of abstraction levels; (2) payoff, or the reason for acquiring fluency; and (3) timing, or a consciousness of abstraction levels at a given time and place.…

Discusses students' inability to make the connection between manipulative materials and pencil-and-paper calculations in mathematics instruction. Outlines the development of mathematical ideas through the concrete, representational, and abstract phases of instruction. An annotated bibliography listing teacher resources for representational-level…

Argues that the best way to cultivate children's reasoning is to make philosophy an essential part of the elementary school curriculum. Philosophy alone provides the logical criteria for distinguishing better thinking from poorer. The author's "Philosophy for Children" program is described. (TE)

This paper discusses ways to use worked examples in teaching mathematics. It is argued that neither investigative teaching such as discovery learning nor lecturing and starting from the abstract are helpful as they are based on emotive associations with general labels rather than precise details of pedagogic strategies. (KHR)

In its own fashion, philosophy encompasses everything and reflects the whole. Thus it has a special role in the liberal arts curriculum whose purpose is generality and breadth. Philosophy translates the generality of the liberal arts into reason and theory in an attempt to make the whole conceptually articulate. (JMD)

Suggests that effective thinking (cognitive skills) should be taught--not just fostered--in English classes, and explores the specific skills of generalizing and abstracting, analyzing, reasoning, and classifying. (JM)

Explores the concept and uses of analogy from the rhetorical perspective, determining rhetorical functions which the analogy may serve and the adequacy with which those functions are performed. (JMF)

Compares science and art as modes of reflective activity in order to remedy confusion concerning the notion of disciplined-based art education. Referring to the work of John Macmurray, the author suggests that there is a discipline unique to the arts that differs from the disciplines proper to intellectual modes of reflection. (KO)

Reports results of 14 studies on children's knowledge about thinking. Suggests that preschoolers appear to know that thinking is an internal mental activity that can refer to real or imaginary objects or events. However, preschoolers are poor at determining when a person is and is not thinking. This shortcoming is considerably less evident in…

Creativity can be distinguished from intelligence, but there is no consensus on how the recognized stages of the creative act can be taught. The steps to rational thinking can and should be intentionally taught and rationality may prepare a base for unexpected creative insights. (DB)

Considers the value of preschool children saying the Pledge of Allegiance daily in their classrooms. Suggests that there may be better ways to help children grasp abstract concepts like patriotism and to provide developmentally appropriate ways to explore the symbol of the flag. (LB)

Discusses children's use of metaphors to create meaning, using as an example the pragmatic and "scientific" ways in which preschool children explain thunder and lightning to themselves. Argues that children are being shortchanged by modern scientific notions of abstractness and that they should be encouraged to create their own explanations of…

Students and instructors may be frustrated with students' lack of understanding of sociological concepts. We suggest that the difficulty of teaching and learning sociology is that sociological concepts and relationships require the use of abstract reasoning patterns. Many students are unaccustomed to using these abstract reasoning patterns. We use…