Dialogue as a playful and subversive space in communities of philosophical enquiry

This reflective paper provides a narrative account of the author’s practitioner research on listening as a critical practice in philosophy with children. Practitioner research data included audio-recording and analysis of classroom dialogues, focus groups with pupils and interviews with teachers in the case study school. The paper extends and develops David Tripp’s critical incident methodology to present educational research as a form of practical philosophical enquiry, drawing on Dunne’s interpretation of phronesis. Through philosophical analysis of critical episodes of classroom interaction with young learners, and in sharp contrast with the purely literal and logical approach of most approaches to teaching thinking, the paper makes the case for imaginative and playful exploration of philosophical questions.