ABSTRACT
Educators who are committed to inquiry learning models like Philosophy for Children (P4C) may find it valuable because it is child-driven. For Matthew Lipman, following Dewey, inviting children to explore the issues that interest them helps ensure a continued, meaningful engagement in dialogue. Yet children’s commitment to the challenging inquiry process is not a given: while some may instantly take to it, others may find it too demanding, lacking the curiosity, resourcefulness and focus required. To be genuinely effective, then, inquiry dialogue should be motivated not only by the facilitator’s goals, but also by the aspirations for growth within the children themselves so that they take on the active, participatory role of inquiring willingly and energetically.
