Self-reflection and thinking about thinking in upper secondary school philosophy

Developing subject didactics with a metacognitive model

Authors

• Tuukka Tomperi Tampereen yliopisto
• Anna Veijola Jyväskylän yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.119959

Keywords:

reflection, metacognition, teaching philosophy, John Dewey, Jack Mezirow, Roger Sutcliffe, thinking moves

Abstract

The school subject of philosophy has always been associated with the promise of fostering thinking skills and self-reflective thinking. In educational theory as well, critical self-reflection has been accorded great importance in learning generally and in experiential learning in particular, contributing to the renewal of beliefs and habits. We argue for the importance of reflection in teaching philosophy from the perspectives of John Dewey and Jack Mezirow. Only very few subject-specific didactical tools have been available to philosophy teachers to support students’ self-reflection on their thinking. In this paper, we analyze a philosophy teaching experiment in which general upper secondary school students were guided in the self-reflection of their thinking skills using a metacognitive model developed by philosopher Roger Sutcliffe and his colleagues. The practical application of the model was explored in teaching philosophy for one academic year, collecting data from two compulsory courses in philosophy. We examine the experiences of using this approach and the students’ perceptions of philosophy as a reflective school subject. The experiment also highlights challenges and possible issues for further research and development.