Non-cognitive impacts of philosophy for children.

Publication Summary

Schools are places where children can learn behaviour, skills and attitudes that have lifelong relevance, in addition to the formal curriculum of subjects. In England, despite a continuing emphasis on attainment, there are clear moves to consider also the wider and non-cognitive outcomes of schooling – such as pupils’ development of self-confidence, trust, critical thinking and civic-mindedness. However, there is little existing evidence on whether and how such non-cognitive outcomes can be improved through school-based interventions. This is a report of the evaluation of one such intervention - Philosophy for Children (P4C) - in terms of its possible non-cognitive outcomes.