Know yourself better in terms of four modes of thinking (the 4Cs of P4C) developed by Matthew Lipman: caring, critical, creative and collaborative thinking. Personalise theory better – self-authoring your own priorities for thinking for personal, academic and professional purposes. Develop better practice - think about how to teach thinking in practice for pedagogical development. Teach for a better world!
2. Aims
1. Know yourself better in terms of 4 modes of thinking:
caring, critical, creative and collaborative – take a test
as a quick way in
2. Personalise theory better - self-author your own
approach to Thinking in a way that can be articulated
for academic and professional purposes
3. Develop better practice - how you can develop your
practice by teaching pupils/students how to Think
4. Teach thoughtfully for a better world!
3. Metatheory : P4T Map
4Ps of Personal, Pedagogical, Professional and Planetary Development
4. Metatheory : P4T Map
The focal practice of Thinking as part of pedagogical development
5. Matthew Lipman
Lipman, M. (2003) Thinking in Education. 2nd
Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press
Source of the P4T Thinking Typology
6. 4Cs of Thinking Percentage of your thinking
A Caring
B Critical
C Creative
D Collaborative
About the P4T Thinking Test
Thinking 1 Know Yourself 5 Minutes
Task: This self-assessment test and guide to metathinking will focus on
a) appreciating the range of thinking you do already at a personal level
b) planning how to teach a better range of thinking with others for
pedagogical purposes
Firstly, as an adult thinker reflect upon how balanced your thinking is. What
percentage of your thinking could be described as caring? What percentage of
your thinking could be described as critical? What percentage of your thinking
could be described as creative? What percentage of your thinking could be
described as collaborative? Do you think this is the right balance for you?
7. 4Cs of Thinking Examples
A Caring
B Critical
C Creative
D Collaborative
Examples of Each Kind of Thinking in Everyday Life
Thinking 1 Know Yourself 5 Minutes
Task: Give a recent example of each kind of thinking you do in everyday life before
we explore them in more detail
9. A.1 Appreciative Example Personal Priority
Prizing
Valuing
Celebrating
Cherishing
Admiring
Respecting
Preserving
Praising
Thinking about Caring Thinking: the Appreciative aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of caring thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your caring thinking.
10. A.2 Normative Example Personal Priority
Requiring
Obliging
Compelling
Appropriate
Enforcing
Demanding
Expecting
Thinking about Caring Thinking: the Normative aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of caring thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your caring thinking.
11. A.3 Affective Example Personal Priority
Liking
Loving
Fostering
Honoring
Reconciling
Friendly
Encouraging
Thinking about Caring Thinking: the Affective aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of caring thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your caring thinking.
12. A.4 Empathic Example Personal Priority
Considerate
Compassionate
Curatorial
Nurturing
Sympathetic
Solicitous
Mindful
Serious
Thinking about Caring Thinking: the Empathic aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of caring thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your caring thinking.
13. Review your Thinking about Caring Thinking
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: How do you feel about the range of caring thinking you do?
Do you have a balanced spread across the range of Appreciative, Normative,
Affective and Empathic aspects?
If not do you have good reasons for giving more emphasis to certain aspects
than others?
How would you summarise your strengths in caring thinking?
How would you summarise any areas for personal development?
15. Thinking about Critical Thinking: Self-Correction
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of critical thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your critical thinking.
B.1 Self-Correction Example Personal Priority
Pointing out errors in other’s thinking
Acknowledging errors in own thinking
Disentangling ambiguous expressions
Clarifying vague expressions
Demanding reasons or criteria if not provided
Identifying inconsistencies in discussions
Pointing out fallacies in reasoning
Questioning whether inquiry procedures have
been correctly applied
16. Thinking about Critical Thinking: Sensitivity to Context
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of critical thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise which you want to do more of to improve your critical thinking.
B.2 Sensitivity to Context Example Personal Priority
Differentiating nuances of meaning stemming
from cultural or worldview differences
Differentiating nuances of meaning stemming
from personal perspectives or points of view
Recognising differences due to different
languages, disciplines, frames of reference
Contending to establish authenticity & integrity
of interpretations
Contesting accuracy of translations
Pointing out how meanings can be modified by
contextual circumstances
Noticing changes in meaning due to alterations
of emphasis or shifts in intention
Noticing differences between a present
situation & seemingly similar past situations
17. Thinking about Critical Thinking: Reliance on Criteria
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of critical thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise which you want to do more of to improve your critical thinking.
B.3 Reliance on Criteria Example Personal Priority
Invoking shared values: ideals, purposes, goals,
aims and objectives
Invoking conventions: norms, regularities,
uniformities, precedents and traditions
Invoking common bases of comparison: shared
respects, properties, characteristics
Invoking requirements: precepts, specifications,
stipulations, limitations
Invoking perspectives: areas of concern, frames
of reference, points of view
Invoking principles, rules, laws, regulations,
directions
Invoking standards (degrees of satisfaction) and
definitions (agreed meanings)
Invoking facts (warranted assertions) and tests
18. Thinking about Critical Thinking: Judgement
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of critical thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise which you want to do more of to improve your critical thinking.
B.4 Judgement Example Personal Priority
Seeking settlements of deliberations
Seeking verdicts of trials or inquests
Seeking decisions
Seeking determinations (conclusive findings of
investigative proceedings)
Seeking solutions to actual or theoretical
problems
Seeking clarifications or categorizations
Evaluations and assessments
19. Review your Thinking about Critical Thinking
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10-20 Minutes
Task: How do you feel about the range of critical thinking you do?
Do you have a balanced spread across Self-correction, Sensitivity to Context,
Reliance on Criteria and Judgement?
If not do you have good reasons for giving more emphasis to certain aspects of
critical thinking than others?
How would you summarise your strengths in critical thinking?
How would you summarise any areas for personal development?
If you are engaged in academic or professional work how do you balance
Caring thinking with the dominance of critical thinking in the Academy and/or
the Profession?
21. C.1 Imaginative Example Personal Priority
Defiant
Bright
Expressive
Passionate
Visionary
Fanciful
Articulate
Thinking about Creative Thinking: the Imaginative aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of creative thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your creative thinking.
22. C.2 Holistic Example Personal Priority
Self-transcendent -striving to go beyond the
previous level you reached
Unified
Concordant
Integrated
Coherent
Orderly
Organic
Holistic
Thinking about Creative Thinking: the Holistic aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of creative thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your creative thinking.
23. C.3 Inventive Example Personal Priority
Experimental
Surprising
Original
Fresh
Inquisitive
New
Independent – ‘thinking for yourself’
Undogmatic
Thinking about Creative Thinking: the Inventive aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of creative thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your creative thinking.
24. C.4 Generative Example Personal Priority
Maieutic – like midwives bringing out the best
thinking of others as offspring to nurture
Productive
Fruitful
Fertile (ready for sowing and growing
thoughts)
Controversial (generating alternative
possibilities not considered by the status quo))
Stimulating (stimulating creative thinking in
others)
Regenerative (process of coming back, growing
anew, rebirth)
Thinking about Creative Thinking: the Generative aspect
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of creative thinking you do and give practical examples for each.
Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your creative thinking.
25. Review your Thinking about Creative Thinking
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10-20 Minutes
Task: How do you feel about the range of creative thinking you do?
Do you have a balanced spread across the Imaginative, Holistic, Inventive and
Generative aspects of creative thinking?
If not do you have good reasons for giving more emphasis to certain aspects of
creative thinking than others?
How would you summarise your strengths in creative thinking?
How would you summarise any areas for personal development?
If you are engaged in academic or professional work how do you balance
Creative thinking with the dominance of critical thinking in the Academy
and/or the Profession?
27. D.1 Enactive (core inquiry process) Example Personal Priority
Reading (reflecting on & responding to a
shared stimulus)
Questioning the reading
Discussion of reading
Thinking for oneself
Facilitating the thinking of others
Impartiality
Reasonableness
Challenging as a procedure
Thinking about Collaborative Thinking: the Enactive aspect of Community of Inquiry
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of collaborative thinking you do and give practical examples for
each. Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your collaborative thinking.
28. D.2 Coactive (beneficial inquiry affects) Example Personal Priority
Quest for meaning
Progress in caring, critical and creative
thinking
Shared cognition
Inclusion
Participation
Face-to-face relationship
Feelings of solidarity
Deliberation
Thinking about Collaborative Thinking: the Coactive aspect of Community of Inquiry
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of collaborative thinking you do and give practical examples for
each. Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your collaborative thinking.
29. D.3 Proactive (outcomes beyond the
inquiry)
Example Personal Priority
Organising
Committing
Managing
Executing
Building
Contributing
Performing
Saving
Thinking about Collaborative Thinking: the Proactive aspect of Community of Inquiry
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10 Minutes
Task: Appreciate the variety of collaborative thinking you do and give practical examples for
each. Prioritise any that you want to do more of to improve your collaborative thinking.
30. Review your Thinking about Collaborative Thinking
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 10-20 Minutes
Task: How do you feel about the range of collaborative thinking you do?
Do you have a balanced spread across Enactive, Coactive and Proactive
dimensions of a community of inquiry?
If not do you have good reasons for giving more emphasis to certain aspects of
collaborative thinking than others?
How would you summarise your strengths in collaborative thinking?
How would you summarise any areas for personal development?
If you are engaged in academic or professional work how do you balance
Collaborative thinking with the dominance of critical thinking in the Academy
and/or the Profession?
31. 1. Identify which elements of critical thinking are required by the assignment
and plan how you will ensure you meet the criteria in your writing
2. Identify whether elements of creative thinking are also required by the
assignment and plan how you will ensure you meet the criteria in your
writing
3. Are there any aspects of caring thinking that would enhance your
assignment?
4. Are there any aspects of collaborative thinking that might enhance your
assignment through discussion with others?
Apply Your Knowledge of the 4Cs for Academic Purposes
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory 30 Minutes
Task: Utilise your knowledge of Thinking to enhance your academic writing. How
you can be more critical and creative to meet the criteria of higher education
assignments.
32. In the light of your thinking about the 4Cs how would you argue for or against the P4T
hypothesis that:
• Collaborative thinking is best conceived as the goal of thinking?
• Caring thinking is best conceived as the ground of thinking?
• Critical thinking is best conceived as the direction of thinking?
• Creative thinking is best conceived as the instrument of thinking?
Articulate Your Own Approach to the 4Cs for Pedagogical Purposes
Thinking 2 Personalise Theory Open ended
Task: Explore the extent to which you agree with the P4T hypothesis
Click to
return to
p4t.org.uk
33. Teacher Resources for Developing Practice
Thinking 3 Develop Practice 60 Minutes – Open ended
Task: Utilise the teacher resources provided by SAPERE and P4C to develop practice.
Click on the links below.
34. 1. I teach Caring thinking by …. (summarise how you teach children/students
to develop appreciative, normative, affective and empathic aspects of
caring thinking)
2. I teach Critical thinking by …. (summarise how you teach children/students
to develop self-correction, sensitivity to context, reliance on criteria and
judgement in critical thinking)
3. I teach Creative thinking by …. (summarise how you teach
children/students to develop imaginative, holistic, inventive and generative
aspects of creative thinking)
4. I teach Collaborative thinking by …. (summarise how you develop your
class as a community of inquiry in which everyone learns the enactive,
coactive and proactive aspects of collaborative thinking)
Teaching Thinking in Practice
Thinking 3 Develop Practice 40 Minutes
Task: Write a summary of your approach to teaching thinking oriented to the needs
of the learners you teach
35. 1. How could you integrate Thinking into the other practices of Pedagogical
Development in P4T?
Teaching Thinking in Practice
Thinking 3 Develop Practice Open ended
Task: How could you integrate the teaching of Thinking into your pedagocical
development as a whole?
a) How do the 4Cs of Thinking enhance Imaginative Teaching?
b) How do the 4Cs of Thinking enhance Positive Learning?
c) How do the 4Cs of Thinking enhance your approach to Curriculum?
36. 1. How do Thinking and the practices of Personal Development mutually
enhance one another? Your approach to Mindfulness. Personality.
Spirituality. Way of Life?
2. How do Thinking and the practices of Professional Development mutually
enhance one another? Your Teamworking. Professional Culture. Leadership
Styles. Transformative School/University?
3. How do Thinking and the practices of Planetary development mutually
enhance one another? Your Worldview. Peace work. Political engagement.
Civilisational ideals?
Teaching Thinking for a Better World
Thinking 4 Teach for a Better World Open ended
Task: Explore how your approach to Thinking connects with other dimensions of
educational philosophy to create a better world in practice
37. Please include these references in any academic writing
Saunders, T. (2020) P4T Thinking Metapractice [Online]. Available at
https://www.p4t.org.uk/metapractice/thinking/ [Accessed …]
Lipman, M. (2003) Thinking in Education. 2nd Edition. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
References
38. Thank you for joining us in exploring your metathinking
preferences and priorities in these slides
If you haven’t already visited the P4T (Philosophy for
Teachers) website then please click the logo below where
you will find further support @ p4t.org.uk in your quest to
know yourself, personalise theory, develop practice and
teach for a better world!
P4T Site
