New journal shares research into value of philosophy

27 Nov 2014

By The Record

Dr Laura D’Olimpio is co-editor of the new Journal of Philosophy in Schools. PHOTO: UNDA

By Leigh Dawson

A new academic online journal aimed at sharing research into the pedagogy and practice of philosophy with school-aged children, co-edited by Dr Laura D’Olimpio from The University of Notre Dame Australia, has been launched.

The Journal of Philosophy in Schools is co-edited by Dr D’Olimpio, Lecturer in Notre Dame’s School of Philosophy & Theology, Fremantle, and Dr Andrew Peterson, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of South Australia.

It is the official journal of the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations, filling the void left by the cessation of its publication, Critical and Creative Thinking.

Dr D’Olimpio, who is the Chairperson for the Association for Philosophy in Schools in WA, says children who study philosophy are likely to achieve better academic results and enjoy additional social benefits, such as improved self-esteem.

“Studying philosophy can help children learn to think critically, reflect, and develop communication skills by respectfully debating and discussing ideas with others,” Dr D’Olimpio said.

“The method used is known as a Community of Inquiry (CoI) and is based upon Socratic dialogue, traditional to the study of philosophy.

“The CoI method encourages empathy, where the ideas of others are built upon, not simply argued against, and students are encouraged to work collaboratively in search of truth. Such thinking skills are transferable, relevant to all other subjects as well as to real-life situations.”

The journal focuses on academic research into philosophy with school-aged children and also reviews new books on philosophy in schools along with new resources for philosophy in schools.

“It is wonderful to have an open-access journal for philosophy and education in Australasia and I think this will continue to grow as philosophy for children gains more attention globally,” Dr D’Olimpio said.

“This journal meets a need for Australasia to be represented in the field of philosophy in schools; a field in which we have committed academics and teachers working and writing. In making the journal open access, we can more readily attract and share information of interest to our community.”

Philosophy for children started in the 1970s in order to encourage critical thinking skills in children from Kindergarten to Year 12. Its supporters believed that philosophy needn’t be confined to the domain of the academy.

Volume 1 Issue 1 of the Journal of Philosophy in Schools can be accessed via: http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/jps/index.

For teachers who wish to gain further qualifications in philosophy, Notre Dame will offer an online Graduate Diploma of Philosophy commencing in 2016. For more information on philosophy and theology courses at Notre Dame, please visit www.nd.edu.au.