Les opérations intellectuelles des élèves et la perception de l’enseignante dans trois discussions à visée philosophique en classe de CP

Abstract

In three philosophical discussions in a class of schoolchildren aged 6-7 years, we analyzed linguistic forms in successive utterances to establish the intellectual processes involved. Our analysis first confirmed that pupils systematically use elements of their pairs’ contributions, thus participating in a collective construction of ideas rather than simply exchanging them. Our study also evidenced that this construction process involves various intellectual operations such as analysis, synthesis, integration, generalization or, at least, consolidation of an idea selected among those previously formulated. However, analysis of the teacher’s utterances showed that the teacher did not always perceive the interactive nature of the pupils’ contributions and the underlying intellectual operations, some of the utterances appearing to her as more or less irrelevant or as merely repetitive. After an illustration of different intellectual operations observed, we examine some of the teacher’s misjudgments. Although a perfect recognition of pupils’ reasoning is hardly possible, teachers need to be aware of potential intellectual hidden value in pupils’ contributions.

Keywords

• language and interaction
• philosophy (teaching/education/relationship)