ABSTRACT
Thinking in classroom spaces is frequently constituted by education departments and their governments and is included in their curriculum. However, in reality such cognitive emphases are not often implemented. The limited emphasis on cognitive focus is based on the assumption that thinking is spontaneous and automatic. Explicit instruction is however required to create in the teacher and in the student a paradigm shift in awareness of applying thinking strategies when teaching and learning. Thus, the context of an inclusive classroom, where students with and without learning differences learn together, should promote thinking and enquiring spaces for engagements. Inclusive classrooms support the diverse academic, social, emotional, and communication needs of all students. This chapter will draw on the relationships between thinking in teaching and learning and provide strategies to make thinking explicit in inclusive classrooms. Theoretical frameworks based on Bronfenbrenner’s systems model, Vygotsky’s social construction of knowledge and Feuerstein’s mediational experiences are foundational to classroom discourse. Examples of instructional discourse and learning strategies from classrooms will be explored so that all students experience a sense of belonging, understand and value different points of view, think critically, and achieve success.
