The Effectiveness of Philosophy for Children (P4C) Training on Future-Oriented Thinking and Responsibility among Elementary Students: The Moderating Role of Abstract Thinking
Keywords:
Philosophy for Children (P4C), future-oriented thinking, responsibility, abstract thinking, cognitive development, educational interventionAbstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) program on future-oriented thinking and responsibility among elementary students, with abstract thinking as a moderating variable.
Methods and Materials: Using a semi-experimental pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group, thirty fifth- and sixth-grade male students were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving sixteen P4C sessions or a control group. Standardized measures assessed future-oriented thinking, responsibility, and abstract reasoning. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA, ANCOVA, repeated-measures ANOVA, and hierarchical regression.
Findings: Results indicated significant increases in future-oriented thinking and responsibility in the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Repeated-measures analysis showed that these improvements were sustained at follow-up. Hierarchical regression revealed that abstract thinking moderated the intervention’s effects, with significant interaction terms predicting both dependent variables (p<0.05).
Conclusion: P4C training effectively enhanced future-oriented thinking and responsibility, and its impact was stronger for students with higher levels of abstract thinking. These findings suggest that P4C constitutes a valuable educational intervention for strengthening cognitive and ethical competencies in elementary school students.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Davoud Keshavarz (Author); Saeed Mousavi Pour; Touraj Sepahvand (Author)
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